Impact of Antarctic melting on sea level rise underestimated in climate models, scientists find

Forecasts have until now not included the potential impacts of yearly and decadal climate fluctuations, reports Tom Batchelor

Tuesday 13 October 2020 09:10 BST
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A satellite image showing melting on the ice cap of Eagle Island, off Graham Land, Antarctica
A satellite image showing melting on the ice cap of Eagle Island, off Graham Land, Antarctica

Scientists may be underestimating the extent of sea level rises because their forecasting models fail to account for seasonal spikes in warm weather that lead to a dramatic melting of Antarctic ice, according to a study.

Researchers said models used to predict how Antarctica is likely to respond to a warming planet have until now not included the potential impacts of yearly and decadal fluctuations in the climate.

This is because modeling how the Antarctic ice sheet will change in the future requires large amounts of computer power and thousands of simulations, which forces modelers to use a simplified, mean temperature.

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