The continent is rising and could have dire consequences.

Researchers warn that Antarctica is losing weight due to climate change. Rising temperatures are accelerating the melting of ice, allowing the continent to rise. This process is called post-glacial uplift and could have a major impact on global sea level rise.

The base of the ice sheet is changing rapidly.

• A team of scientists analyzed the Earth’s mantle beneath the Antarctic ice sheet and found areas that are softer than they should be.
• The data revealed that the solid ground that forms the base of the region’s ice sheet is changing at an astonishing rate.
• According to the researchers, what should take thousands of years happens in decades.
• The results were described in a study published in the journal Science advances.

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The situation in Antarctica will lead to a significant increase in sea levels.

Scientists used 3D modeling to simulate sea level rise due to changes in land area in Antarctica under different scenarios. According to them, if warming levels remain low, this will lead to a rise of up to 1.7 meters by the year 2500. However, if nothing is done to stop the planet from warming, sea levels could rise by 19.5 meters.

That’s because when the retreat of the ice sheet exceeds the elevation, more water ends up being expelled into the oceans. But if we can slow this melting, the higher ground will lift some of the ice out of the warmer ocean waters, allowing it to be preserved for longer.

The study also suggests that low-latitude islands, such as Kiribati, and coastal locations already affected by sea level rise, will suffer greater increases linked to ice loss from Antarctica.