In Antarctica and Greenland, ice is melting alarmingly quickly. In the article,”New satellite maps show dire state of ice melt in Antarctica and Greenland,” pictures of the ice sheets show them losing ice rapidly. In fact, the change is so drastic, it can be noticed from space by satellites. In the article, the author discusses the possible consequences if this is allowed to continue.
Over the course of 16 years, a series of pictures taken by satellites show how the ice sheets are losing ice at a much higher rate than its gains. The article states, “All that melting ice was responsible for a total 0.55 inches (14 millimeters) of sea-level rise between 2003 and 2019…” As shown in the quote, the world’s ice sheets melting is causing the sea level to rise. Even though it’s only half an inch, because of how big the oceans are, to add that tiny difference in sea level means an almost incomprehensibly large amount of water was added into the ocean during that time.
This increase in sea level leads us the consequences of the melting ice sheets. If the ice sheets were to continue melting like this, the article say that, “That scenario would put hundreds of millions of people living in coastal communities at risk of losing their homes — or their lives — to flooding.” Scientists have also found that most of the melting ice came from ice shelves, which serve as structural support for the rest of the ice sheet. This means the melting ice shelves will in turn cause more melted ice from unstable ice further inland flowing out into the ocean. All the water from the melted ice would increase the water level more and more, resulting in lots of flooding and lives lost.
While climate change has been hanging over our heads for quite a while now, new findings are giving us a much needed wake up call to action. The melting ice causes sea level rise, which in turn will cause floods in the future. Hopefully this new evidence can make people more aware and start trying to reverse climate change and avoid melting the ice sheets in the future.