Antarctic Peninsula could face permanent damage due to climate change
A new study says if we don't cut emissions, the Antarctic Peninsula could face permanent damage.
Researchers looked at three possible futures—low, medium-high, and very high warming—and found that only the lowest scenario (1.8°C by 2100) would keep sea ice, glaciers, and ice shelves mostly safe.
The Antarctic Peninsula is warming nearly twice as fast as the rest of the world
The Antarctic Peninsula is warming nearly twice as fast as the rest of the world. This has led to widespread glacier retreat and increased glacier flow and huge chunks of ice shelves collapsing.
Right now, we're on a medium-high emissions path with little hope of keeping global warming below 1.5°C.
If emissions stay high, we could lose 20% of sea ice
If emissions stay high, we could lose 20% of sea ice and see more collapses in ice shelves—bad news for krill (a key food source for whales and penguins).
It would also mess with ocean currents that affect weather worldwide.
Some changes would be irreversible in our lifetime, especially for West Antarctica.