Scientists are witnessing the rapid rise of a continent from the ocean – a phenomenon that could lead to catastrophic consequences.
According to Science Alert, the continent that is rising and causing concern is Antarctica. This is happening because this massive landmass is gradually losing weight.
In a new study published in the scientific journal Science Advances, a team led by Associate Professor Natalya Gomez from McGill University states that the rise of Antarctica is due to its decreasing weight and the loss of ice.
Antarctica is rapidly rising, demonstrated through land deformation – (Photo: MCGILL UNIVERSITY).
One can imagine this continent as a sponge that was previously pressed down by a massive rock. As the overlying weight gradually decreases, it rises.
According to the authors, the consequences could be extremely serious in today’s context.
The rise of Antarctica is a process known as “post-glacial rebound”, which can be a double-edged sword.
The natural mechanisms of Earth could actually balance this, turning it into a positive event, but only if humanity does not interfere negatively.
If greenhouse gas emissions are rapidly reduced to limit global warming, then post-glacial rebound could act as a natural brake on ice mass loss.
This process would lift ice, slowing the flow of ice from the land into the ocean, potentially reducing Antarctica’s contribution to sea level rise by up to 40%.
Conversely, if humanity continues to emit greenhouse gases that warm the planet, natural recovery will not be sufficient to “lock” the melting process, instead pushing more seawater away from Antarctica.
This means that sea levels will rise faster, inundating densely populated areas.
With the new model that takes into account Antarctica’s rebound, if we keep warming levels low, sea levels could rise by about 1.7 meters by 2500.
However, this figure could increase to 19.5 meters if global warming continues at its current pace.
“With nearly 700 million people living in coastal areas and the potential damage from rising sea levels amounting to trillions of dollars by the end of this century, understanding the domino effect of ice melt in Antarctica is extremely important”, the authors of the study warn.
This research once again highlights the risk of triggering a catastrophic global disaster if humanity cannot curb the pace of planetary warming due to its own civilization.
