. | . |
World's biggest ice sheet could cause massive sea rise without action: study by AFP Staff Writers London (AFP) Aug 10, 2022 The world's biggest ice sheet could cause "several metres" of sea-level rise over centuries if the global temperature rises more than 2C, according to a British study published Wednesday. Researchers at Durham University concluded that if global greenhouse emissions remain high, the melting East Antarctica Ice Sheet (EAIS) could cause nearly half a metre of sea-level rise by 2100. Their analysis was published in the scientific journal Nature. If emissions remain high beyond that, the EAIS could contribute around one to three metres to global sea levels by 2300, and two to five metres by 2500, they said. However, if emissions were dramatically reduced, EAIS could contribute around two centimetres of sea level rise by 2100, according to the assessment. This would represent far less than the ice loss expected from Greenland and West Antarctica. "A key conclusion from our analysis is that the fate of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet remains very much in our hands," said lead author Chris Stokes, from Durham University's Department of Geography. "This ice sheet is by far the largest on the planet, containing the equivalent of 52 metres of sea level and it's really important that we do not awaken this sleeping giant. "Restricting global temperature increases to below the 2C limit set by the Paris Climate Agreement should mean that we avoid the worst-case scenarios, or perhaps even halt the melting of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, and therefore limit its impact on global sea level rise," he added. - Computer simulations - The study did note that the worst scenarios projected were "very unlikely". World leaders agreed at the 2015 UN Climate Change Conference in Paris to limit global warming to well below 2C and pursue efforts to limit the rise to 1.5C. The research team, which included scientists from the UK, Australia, France and the US, analysed how the ice sheet responded to past warm periods when making their predictions. They ran computer simulations to model the effects of different greenhouse gas emission levels and temperatures on the ice sheet by the years 2100, 2300 and 2500. They found evidence to suggest that three million years ago, when temperatures were around 2-4C higher than present, part of the EAIS "collapsed and contributed several metres to sea-level rise". "Even as recently as 400,000 years ago -- not that long ago on geological timescales -- there is evidence that a part of the EAIS retreated 700 km inland in response to only 1-2C of global warming," they added. Nerilie Abram, a co-author of the study from the Australian National University in Canberra, warned the sheet "isn't as stable and protected as we once thought."
Endangered sharks, rays caught in protected Med areas: study Paris (AFP) Aug 9, 2022 Endangered sharks, rays and skates in the Mediterranean are more frequently caught in protected than in unprotected areas, according to research published Tuesday highlighting the need for better conservation for critically threatened species. The three types of elasmobranch are among the species most threatened by overfishing. While often landed as by-catch - or caught in nets of boats seeking to land other species - demand for their fins and meat has driven an estimated 71-percent decline i ... read more
|
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us. |