New York may sink under water due to melting glaciers in Antarctica: research

The study notes that when the temperature rises by 2 degrees Celsius, the ocean level will rise by 2,4 meters. As a result, New York, Hamburg and Tokyo may go under water. About when this will happen and what needs to be done to prevent the flood, the edition writes Fox News.

If the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement targets are not met, Antarctic glaciers will melt, raising ocean levels to such an extent that New York, Hamburg and Tokyo are at risk of being submerged. This is stated in the results of a new study published in the journal Nature.

So, if the temperature rises by 2 degrees Celsius, the ocean level will rise by 2,5 meters (8 feet) - the temperature limit set by the Paris Agreement. If the temperature rises by 4 or 6 degrees Celsius, the water level will rise 6,5 meters (21 feet) and almost 12 meters (39 feet), respectively.

"Antarctica contains more than half of the Earth's fresh water frozen in a vast ice sheet nearly five kilometers thick," study co-author Ricard Winkelmann said in a statement. "As the surrounding ocean water and atmosphere are warmed by greenhouse gas emissions, the white cap at the South Pole loses its mass and ultimately becomes unstable."

Winkelmann continued: “Because of its sheer size, Antarctica has tremendous potential for sea level rise: we see that already at two degrees of warming, melting and accelerated ice flow into the ocean, there will eventually be a 2,5-meter rise in ocean level from just one Antarctica. At four degrees it will be 6,5 meters, and at six degrees it will be almost 12 meters, if these temperature levels are maintained long enough. "

The landmark Paris Climate Agreement was drawn up in 2015 under the Obama administration. The long-term goal of this agreement is to limit temperature rise to 1,5 degrees Celsius. About 200 countries, including China, have signed this important document.

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The melting period is likely to last for years, but the changes will be permanent, the researchers added. “Antarctica is, in fact, our ultimate legacy from earlier times in Earth's history,” added study co-author Anders Levermann. - It has been around for about 34 million years. We found that after melting, it does not return to its original state, even if the temperature eventually drops again. In fact, temperatures must return to pre-industrial levels in order for them to recover fully (highly unlikely scenario). That is, what we are now losing in Antarctica, we are losing forever ”.

In an interview with the Guardian, Levermann voiced even darker speculations: "In the future, we will be known as the people who flooded New York."

Earlier this week, a separate study said ocean levels could rise by 38 cm (15 inches) by 2100 due to ice melting in Antarctica and Greenland. This will happen if greenhouse gas emissions continue at the current rate.

Research shows the profound impact humanity has on the planet, even if the most extreme impacts won't be seen in the coming years. “After all, it is our burning of coal and oil that determines current and future greenhouse gas emissions. And even if ice loss occurs over a long period of time, corresponding levels of carbon dioxide may be reached in the near future. Now we are deciding whether we will be able to stop the warming. If we reject the Paris Agreement, we will reject Hamburg, Tokyo and New York, ”said Winkelmann.

A separate study showed that if the global temperature rises by 0,5 degrees Celsius over the next 50 years, then about half of the world's species will become extinct. If the temperature rises by 2,9 degrees Celsius, 95% of the species will die.

According to another study in March, nearly half of the world's sandy beaches could be gone by 2100 if climate change continues.

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In August, researchers found that 23 trillion tons of ice had been lost over the past 28 years, mainly from the Arctic seas, Antarctic ice shelves and mountain glaciers. This is “a direct consequence of climate change”.

In May 2019, a separate study suggested that climate change could raise water levels up to 2100 meters (2,1 feet) by 7.

Skeptics dismissed concerns about the human impact on global warming. Many of them believe that climate change has been happening since the beginning of time. They also argue that the danger of warming the planet is grossly exaggerated, and question the impact of fossil fuels on climate change.

As we wrote earlier, all airports in New York may be under water by 2100. The reason, again, is global warming, due to which the water level in the seas rises. Read about the results of this study. in this publication.