How Soon Will the Seas Rise?

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By Evan Howell, Quanta Magazine. 

Excerpt: In May 2014, NASA announced(opens a new tab) at a press conference that a portion of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet appeared to have reached a point of irreversible retreat. Glaciers flowing toward the sea at the periphery of the 2-kilometer-thick sheet of ice were losing ice faster than snowfall could replenish them, causing their edges to recede inland. With that, the question was no longer whether the West Antarctic Ice Sheet would disappear, but when. When those glaciers go, sea levels will rise by more than a meter, inundating land currently inhabited by 230 million people(opens a new tab). And that would be just the first act before the collapse of the entire ice sheet, which could raise seas 5 meters(opens a new tab) and redraw the world’s coastlines. ...If greenhouse gas emissions continue unabated, seas would rise a staggering 15 meters(opens a new tab) by 2300. ...not all scientists are convinced by the runaway scenario. Thus, a tension has emerged over how long we have until West Antarctica’s huge glaciers vanish. If their retreat unfolds over centuries, humanity may have time to adapt. But if rapid destabilization begins in the coming decades through the controversial runaway process, the consequences could outpace our ability to respond. Scientists warn that major population centers — New York City, New Orleans, Miami and Houston — may not be ready.... 

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