MOSCOW, June 26, Even a small increase in ocean temperatures could lead to a sudden acceleration in the melting of glaciers in Antarctica, write British scientists Alexander Bradley and Ian Hewitt in an article for the scientific journal Nature Geoscience.
«We found that rising ocean temperatures could lead to a tipping point, after which ocean water would inundate the ice sheet (of Antarctica. — Ed.) due to unstoppable melting,» the publication says.
Scientists explain that warming seawater, which gradually melts the glacier and penetrates under the shield, will sooner or later lead to very rapid flooding of the ice voids and a sharp increase in the rate of melting. But it is extremely difficult to predict the onset of such a «turning point» for the glacier, they note.
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«Our results indicate a greater sensitivity of the ice sheet melting process (to rising ocean temperatures. — Ed.) and, accordingly, a greater contribution of climate warming to sea level rise,» the experts write.
According to climate scientist Alexey Kokorin, the rise in sea levels in the 22nd century could reach five meters — this will happen in the worst-case scenario, under the influence of all factors, including human influence and thermal expansion of water.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres previously said that the temperature on Earth could rise by 2.8 degrees by the end of the century if countries do not radicalize their decarbonization strategies. The key agreement in this area is the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, which calls for measures to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius, with a maximum of 2 degrees by 2100.
Within the global climate agenda, most countries have adopted programs to achieve carbon neutrality, that is, a balance between anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane and others) and their absorption through both technological solutions (RES, electrification of transport, CCUS in industry, hydrogen) and using natural ecosystems (primarily forests). Russia plans to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.