An irreversible loss of the West Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets, and a corresponding rapid acceleration of sea level rise, may be imminent if global temperature change is not limited below 1.8 degrees Celsius, according to a study. "If we miss this emission goal, the ice sheets will disintegrate and melt at an accelerated pace, according to our calculations. If we don't take any action, retreating ice sheets would continue to increase sea level by at least 100 cm within the next 130 years," said Professor Axel Timmermann, co-author of the study and Director of the IBS Center for Climate Physics. Previously, scientists have highlighted the importance of subsurface ocean melting as a key process, which can trigger runaway effects in the major marine based ice sheets in Antarctica. "We see that sea ice and atmospheric circulation changes around Antarctica also play a crucial role in controlling the amount of ice sheet melting with repercussions for global sea level projections," she added.The study highlights the need to develop more complex earth system models, which capture the different climate components, as well as their interactions.

Source: Economic Times February 16, 2023 00:36 UTC