Antarctic ice shelf breaks, the future of many cities is on the brink

If the worst-case scenario happens, the world map will change profoundly. Major cities are at risk of being submerged.

Scientists at Sorbonne University in Paris, France, predict that up to 59% of Antarctica's major ice shelves could collapse by 2300. If this happens, global sea levels could rise by up to 10m, irreversibly. Photo: Shutterstock/Ion Mes.

In the UK, Hull, Glasgow and Bristol would be submerged. Meanwhile, in the US, people in Houston, New Orleans and Miami would be forced to move inland. Many other coastal cities and towns are also at risk of being submerged. Photo: Shutterstock/phillip openshaw.

Experts say the above scenario could become a reality if greenhouse gas emissions continue to skyrocket. Photo: Nature.

“Our results suggest that current options to change emissions pathways could significantly impact the long-term stability of most Antarctic ice shelves,” the researchers explain. Image: Climate Central.

Antarctica has 15 large ice shelves and many smaller ones. These ice shelves play a key role in controlling ice loss. Photo: Climate Central.

“The thinning and eventual collapse of ice shelves accelerates the rate at which ice melts into the ocean,” explained the team led by expert Clara Burgard. Photo: James Smith.

In the study, Burgard's team conducted simulations to understand how the melting of 64 ice shelves in Antarctica might change as emissions continue to rise. Photo: NSIDC/Ted Scambos.

The study found that under a low-emissions scenario, in which global temperatures are kept below 2°C by 2300, only one in 64 ice shelves is at risk of destabilization and collapse. Photo: Rob Larter/British Antarctic Survey.

However, under the high emissions scenario, with global temperatures rising by 12 degrees Celsius by 2300, 38 ice shelves (59%) in Antarctica could disappear, causing sea levels to rise by another 10 meters. Photo: theconversation.

Readers are invited to watch the video : Behind the success of scientists. Source: VTV24.

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