A new study has found that sea levels are rising faster than expected, which would put 40% of the world’s population living in coastal regions at elevated risk.A new study, published Tuesday, from the University of Copenhagen reports that future estimates of how much sea levels are poised to rise in response to climate change is largely underestimated by some models.
Looking at data from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), scientists used a linear regression model to test for a relationship between rise in average temperatures and rise in sea levels, focusing on measuring their results against preexisting estimates. The results suggest that sea levels will rise about 25 centimeters (10 in) more per century if carbon emissions are not curbed and the Earth continues to heat up.
The world would need to emit 200 gigatons to 300 gigatons less of carbon dioxide, and cool the Earth by about 0.6° Celsius (1° Fahrenheit), for sea level rise to correlate with previous models.
Another study recently identified that Antarctica’s Pine Island and Thwaites glaciers, whose melting has already contributed to 5% of global sea rise, could be on the verge of breaking apart, releasing even more water into the oceans and contributing to more sea level rise.
