Environment: Sea Levels to Rise up to Six Feet by 2100, New Study Says
In 2100, sea levels could rise by up to six feet due to the melting of ice in Antarctica and other regions around the world, a new study released in the scientific journal Nature says.
The study says Antarctica's melting ice can possibly lead to a rise in sea levels of up to 1 meter (over 3 feet) by 2100. The region's capacity to raise sea levels adds a large chunk to the 2013 U.N. study that says seas could rise by up to 5 or 6 feet when the century comes to a close.
By 2500, sea levels could be up by around 50 feet - a number that has the power to submerge some small mountains and hills. Robert DeConto of the University of Massachusetts, one of the study's authors, told CNN that once seas have reached 15 meters high, coastlines will have to be remapped.
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"At the high end, the worst-case scenarios, with sort of business as usual greenhouse gas emissions...we will literally be remapping coastlines," he said.
DeConto further explained that it is unclear at this point if engineers will be able to build walls, levies, and dikes fast enough to protect people who will be largely affected by the nearing catastrophe.
Another issue that the world will have to face is the continued emission of greenhouse gasses that has the capacity to raise sea levels by more than 1 foot every decade. If this happens, DeConto and his team are looking at North America as the target of chaos if ever the west areas of Antarctica begins losing its ice.
Despite the research team's fears, DeConto clarified that there is hope of mankind in the form of revamped policies. As far as the investigation is concerned, the findings are only relatable in worst-case scenarios and there is a huge possibility that man's adaptation of environmental-friendly lifestyles can change the course of the future.
