A new study suggests that the significant glacial retreat of two glaciers on the west coast of Antarctica began in the 19404's, likely spurred by climate change.
This direct historical connection suggests that around 125,000 years ago, the massive 2.2 million cubic kilometer West Antarctic Ice Sheet that separates the two bays had fully collapsed into the sea.
Model results show that Pine Island glacier region of west Antarctica could collapse in the future. If it does, then it could raise global mean sea level by several metres.
The rate at which the warming Southern Ocean melts the West Antarctic ice sheet will speed up rapidly over the course of this century, regardless of how much emissions fall in coming decades, our new research suggests.
A new research suggests a 2ºC (3.6ºF) rise in global temperatures could melt more than a million square kilometers (386,000 square miles) of ice if the temperatures are sustained long enough.
