The researchers further warned that the damage will be nearly irreversibly.
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Using state-of-the-art computer modelling, the scientists found the only scenario that didn’t lead to large-scale loss of Antarctic ice was where world emissions were significantly reduced beyond 2020, says lead author, Victoria University’s Nicholas Golledge.
This image shows the 2015 Antarctic sea ice extent compared to the median period of 1981-2010.
According to the scientists, global warming would, in the long run, destabilize both West and East Antarctica, melting the entire continent-covering glacier and causing sea-level rises that would reshape coastal regions for thousands of years to come. This year’s strong El Nino had an impact on the behavior of the sea ice cover around Antarctica.
The 2013 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report predicted that the Antarctic ice sheet would contribute at most only 5cm to global sea-level rise by the end of this century.
The study, published Monday in the journal Nature Geoscience, showed that the floating ice shelves are majorly affected by air and ocean temperatures. The sea ice was much higher than normal levels throughout much of the first half of 2015 until it flattened in mid-July.
Trusel said in a statement that for the study they stressed on the point that how Antarctic ice shelf melt changes over time in response to climate change.
“Missing the 2C target will result in an Antarctic contribution to sea-level rise that could be up to 10 metres higher than today”, Dr Golledge said.
“The stakes are obviously very high, 10 percent of the world’s population lives within 10 metres of present sea level”.
“To be on track this will require a global commitment to 30 percent reduction, below year 1990 levels, by the year 2030”.
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More remarkably, this year’s maximum is quite a bit smaller than the previous three years, which correspond to the three highest maximum extents in the satellite era, and is also the lowest since 2008.
