– Antarctica is rising as it sheds glacial ice weight, in a process called post-glacial uplift. This is allowing the continent to literally rise from the ocean like an expanding sponge.
– New research finds Antarctica’s uplift is occurring faster than expected, in decades rather than millennia, due to the soft, squishy mantle rock beneath the ice sheet.
– 3D modeling showed sea level rise could be reduced by up to 40% by 2100 if warming is curbed, but exceed 19.5 meters if emissions continue unchecked and ice melt outpaces land uplift.
– More ice loss means more water added to oceans, but preserved ice mass lifts with the rising land if uplift is faster than melt. Uplift also shelves ice away from warming ocean waters.
– The findings provide a breakthrough in sea level rise predictions to inform climate policy, but uncertainty remains, particularly regarding West Antarctica’s geology. Continued research is needed to refine forecasts.
– Rising seas already impact low-lying areas, and uneven land uplift will exacerbate disparities, with islands and coastal sites experiencing higher relative sea level increases.
Source: Science Alert
