Research: Rising ocean temperatures could lead to irreversible glacier melting...
Researchers in the UK believe that rising ocean temperatures could push glacier melting and the resulting sea-level rise to a point of no return.
AA
A study conducted at the UK's national polar research institute, the "British Antarctic Survey," indicates that rising ocean temperatures are projected to accelerate both sea-level rise and glacier melting.
The research explains that this occurs as water enters the glacier from the parts in contact with the ocean surface, noting that the infiltrating water both increases melting and detaches the glacier from the ocean floor.
The study suggests that this factor, which accelerates melting, could increase sea-level rise in the long term.
Emphasizing that rising temperatures will not only accelerate this process but could also push glacier melting and sea-level rise to an irreversible point, the research notes that if the current situation continues, sea-level rise will continue to increase over the coming centuries.
The research was published in the journal "Nature Geoscience."