Extreme sea level rise of 11 FEET a century could drown major cities by 2100
SEA levels could rise by as much as 11 feet between now and then end of the century, scientists warn.
Such a hike within a short period would decimate coastal cities and turf millions across the planet from their homes.
It would primarily be driven by climate change caused by human activities, researchers in Australia said.
The team looked at evidence of historic global warming in fossilised corals and ancient sediments from the Red Sea.
About 125,000 years ago, global temperatures were a degree warmer than now.
Antarctica melted at a rapid rate, and sea levels rose as much as 11.2 feet every 100 years for several centuries.
That terrifying rise could be mirrored over the next few hundred years, scientists warned.
That's because today, man-made climate change is accelerating the melting of Antarctica's ice sheets.
"We don't predict the future, but we show what nature can do even without human interference in the climate," said Professor Eelco Rohling, of the Australian National University.
"Nature knows how to go much quicker than we thought."
Previous research has warned that rising sea levels threaten to flood the homes of 480million people by 2100.
The rise could lead to a total loss of land of 700,000 square miles, an area seven times the size of the UK.
A recent Pentagon report warned that the United States' electrical grids and other infrastructure may collapse as Earth heats up.
The new paper suggests Antarctica's melting ice sheets are an even bigger contributor to global sea level rises than we thought.
"The rate of warming is much faster this time – the warming is more extreme – and it's happening at both poles at the same time," scientist Dr Fiona Hibbert said.
If both the Greenland and Antarctic ice shelves melt, sea levels will rise about 200 feet.
"As soon as it's more than four metres [13ft], all of the big coastal cities are going to have to be moved," Professor Rohling said.
The research was published in the journal Nature Communications.
Rising sea levels – what's the problem?
Here's what you need to know...
- The global sea level has been gradually rising over the past century
- Sea levels rise due to two main reasons
- The first is thermal expansion – as water gets warmer, it expands
- The second is melting ice on land, adding fresh water into seas
- This has a cyclical effect, because melting ice also warms up the planet (and oceans), causing more even ice to melt and boosting thermal expansion
- It's currently rising at a rate of around 0.3cm per year
- The sea is huge, so that might sound harmless
- But rising sea levels can have a devastating effect over time
- Low-lying coastal areas can disappear completely, even putting areas of the UK at risk
- It can also mean sea storms and tsunamis can have a more devastating effect, reaching further in-land than they would have previously
- There's also an increased risk of flooding
If follows a declaration from 11,000 scientists on Tuesday that Earth had entered a global "climate emergency".
Researchers from 153 countries warned that we face "untold human suffering" if more isn't done to slow down climate change.
They put forward several routes through which humanity can save itself.
These included a shift away from meat-heavy diets, a greater emphasis on green energy, and having fewer children.
In other news, scientists recently warned that ocean waves are getting stronger, and say we've "underestimated" the risks of climate change.
Parts of Europe could disappear as Nasa warns Antarctica is melting 6 times faster than it was 40 years ago.
And, experts think climate change could cause areas of the ocean to turn a "deep green" colour by 2100.
Are you worried about climate change? Let us know in the comments!
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