Sea Level Rise

Sea levels will rise by twice as much as previously predicted as a result of
global warming, an
important international study has concluded.

The Scientific Committee on
Antarctic Research (SCAR) calculated that if temperatures continued to
increase at the present rate, by 2100 the sea level would rise by up to 1.4
metres — twice that predicted two years ago.

Even if the average global temperature increases by only 2C — the target set
for next week’s Copenhagen summit — sea levels could still rise by 50cm,
double previous forecasts, according to the report.

The IPCC report predicted that the melting of ice sheets would contribute
about 20 per cent of the total rise in sea levels, with the majority coming
from the melting of glaciers and the expansion of the water as it warms. It
said that it was not able to predict the impact of melting ice sheets, but
suggested this could add 10-20cm.