Record melting ice in Antarctica warns of possible flooding on the South Carolina coast (Photo: Pixabay/Disclosure)
Melting ice in Antarctica could have a number of consequences, such as flooding on the Santa Catarina coast due to rising sea levels and warming seawater. According to the US National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), sea ice around Antarctica reached its lowest level in history during the winter, triggering a new warning about the effects of climate change this Monday (25).
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According to NSIDC, the ice sheets peaked on September 10, when they covered 16.96 million square kilometers. This is the lowest winter maximum since satellite measurements began in 1979.
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According to the agency, the decline was about one million square kilometers less than the previous record set in 1986.
According to the professor of oceanography at Univali, Mauro Michelena, the melting ice is a consequence of current climate changes. This transports water into the oceans, impacting coastal areas.
— It may lead to sea level rise that is gradual rather than instantaneous. Another very important impact is warmer water, which increases the volume of water and will also increase throughout the Earth he explains.
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According to the latest forecasts, sea levels will rise by up to half a meter in 50 years, said the expert. However, the effect depends on how much greenhouse gas the population puts into the atmosphere.
Melting ice could lead to storm surges and coastal erosion
Another point highlighted by the expert is that melting ice could also be linked to flooding in areas not affected by the phenomenon, which could lead to coastal erosion and destabilization of the composition of beaches. He also warns that global warming is causing further harm, such as increasing hangover attacks.
— This results in higher waves that occur more frequently and are more intense. This will lead to sand removal, leading to coastal erosion, which is a very serious problem, he points out.
Another concern that Michelena highlights is marine biodiversity. As sea levels rise and the oceans warm, the behavior of vegetation and animals also changes, which also causes damage to the economic sector.
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— Research by a student here at the university confirmed the changing distribution of fish caught, which affects the economic and social sectors. “Hangovers also mean that fishermen end up spending less time at sea, which puts them off fishing and affects their income,” he says.
The NSIDC researchers pointed out that the changes could have implications for the reproduction of penguins, which use sea ice to raise their chicks.
Professor Mauro Michelena claims that the only way to reduce the intensity is to neutralize greenhouse gas emissions.
— According to current standards, the atmosphere will continue to warm and, as a result, ice melt in Antarctica will increase. This is very worrying as a more acute impact could lead to complete deregulation of the Earth’s climate. Once it affects water density, it affects the entire ocean circulation and can have catastrophic consequences, he summarizes.
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