New research states that future rises in sea level could be better estimated by gaining a clearer understanding of the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets.
Global climate change and its impact on sea levels is a pressing issue and trying to accurately predict just how much they will rise in future is subject to ongoing analysis. The changing nature of ice sheets is a vital factor in the projection of future sea level rise.
Led by the University of Lincoln and involving Dr Sammie Buzzard from the Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling (Northumbria University), the paper was published today in the Nature journal, Nature Reviews Earth & Environment.
An important aspect of the review highlights that short-term fluctuations in climate could have an amplification ‘feedback’ effect, meaning that ice sheets are more sensitive to climate change than previously understood.
The research was sponsored by the World Climate Research Programme’s Climate and Cryosphere project, the International Arctic Science Committee, and the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research.
The paper is available to read online: Nature Reviews Earth & Environment