For decades, scientists have warned that the ice sheets in Greenland are melting at an alarming rate. Just last year, in a single day, 11 billion tons of ice was melted. A new study has found that no matter what we do, ice sheets and glaciers in Greenland will melt away.
Greenland has passed the point of no return.
Each year, over 280 billion tons of ice melt away. And even if we could somehow get the climate back to the way it was decades ago, nothing would change. The damage is already done.
This will have a huge impact on rising sea levels and the wildlife of Greenland.
Coastlines At Risk
By the end of the century, it is expected that the sea level will rise by 3-feet. As a result coastlines around the world will be at high risk of flooding.
A horrifying example of this is the state of Florida. If the sea level were to rise 3 feet, most of the state’s coastlines would be submerged or extremely vulnerable to flooding. This is a nightmare when you consider how often Florida is impacted by large tropical storms like hurricanes.
However, that is just one state. Roughly 40% of the population in the US lives near a coastline. The impact would be disastrous, and Greenland could make this far worse.
How Much Water Could Greenland Add to the Sea?
Unfortunately, if the ice sheets in Greenland fully melt, the world is in serious trouble.
While researchers tend to disagree on the exact amount of water contained in the ice sheets, it is expected to be capable of raising the sea levels by roughly 20 feet. This would fully submerge cities like New York.
However, f you don’t believe me, check out what the city would look like with an 8-foot increase (not even half of what Greenland will do).
