PlanetEarth, June 22, 2009
Current carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the atmosphere may commit us to sea-level rises of up to 25 metres, says new research based on a comparison of Antarctic ice temperature records with new sea-level data from the Red Sea.
The findings predict a sea-level rise much higher than the seven metres estimated by previous models and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
(...) 'Even if our 25 metres estimation is not absolutely correct, our findings suggest that the IPCC prediction is underestimated,' says [co-autohor] Rohling.
The estimate of 25 metres sounds high, but it is in good agreement with independent data calculated for the Middle Pliocene. Back then, 3 million years ago, when CO2 levels in the atmosphere were similar to the ones we have today, the sea level was between 15 and 25 metres higher than it is now.
Also see:
Close Relationship Between Past Warming And Sea-level Rise
ScienceDaily, July 7, 2009
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