This does not bode well for the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. This ice mass is the largest source of global sea level rise in Antarctica, and the situation will only get worse from now on. After running numerous simulations, the researchers determined that increased melting of the plate would be inevitable over the remainder of the century.

Scientists have previously suggested that reducing greenhouse gas emissions could mitigate the warming of the Amundsen Sea, which is contributing to the melting of the West Antarctic ice sheet. Now this hypothesis has been tested.

Using the UK’s national supercomputer, researchers produced four future melting projections using data on expected global temperature increases based on average and best-case emissions scenarios, and none of the cases were successful. Even in the team’s best estimate, which meets the ambitious goals of the Paris Agreement, the West Antarctic Ice Sheet would melt three times faster in the 21st century than in the 20th century.

“We appear to have lost control over the melting of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. “If we wanted to preserve it in its historic form, we would have had to act on climate change decades ago,” Dr Caitlin Naughten of the British Antarctic Survey said in a statement.

Instead, the floating ice sheets supporting the West Antarctic Ice Sheet will weaken in the coming decades, accelerating the flow of upstream glaciers into the ocean, eventually breaking up into icebergs and melting.

“The good thing is that by being aware of this situation in advance, the world will have more time to adapt to impending sea level rise,” Noten said. said. “If you need to abandon or significantly redevelop a coastal area, the 50-year timeline will make a difference.”

On a more positive note, melting is predicted to slow in the late 21st century, but we need to take immediate action to achieve this future. “We don’t need to stop working to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels,” Noten said. “What we’re doing now will help slow the rate of sea level rise in the long term. Source