Antarctic ice shelf (Photo : Reuters)
Supplementing NASA's 2002 study which shed light on the disintegrating ice shelf in Antarctica; researchers claim that the ice shelf, Larsen B will completely vanish in the next five years.
According to surveys, the Antarctic Peninsula is now one the warmest places in the past 50 years which facilitates the melting of ice shelves. However, since Larsen B is present on the ocean floor since a long time, therefor its disintegration will not raise the sea level directly. On the contary, it may result in the creation of several smaller ice bergs which will increase the sea levels by 1 to 3 feet in the next five years.
Ala Khazendar, a lead scientist at NASA remarked that Larsen B is a part of the Antarctic ice system for over 10,000 years. He added that it was just disheartening and exciting both at the same time to be a witness to such an exciting movement, according to Geek Infinite.
Following the collapse of Larsen A and Larsen B ice shelves the glaciers behind them started losing ice at a pace 300 percent faster compared to their previous rate. This also led to an increase of 59 percent in the pace of ice discharge from the West Antarctic regions, according to Vox Energy and Environment.
Besides, scientists added that the melting of the ice caps due to Global Warming will not lead to a drastic increase in the length of the ocean floor. Instead it is the melting of the land ice like in the case of Antarctica, which is leading to a rapid increase in the ocean levels all over the world.
The rapid rise of the ocean floor is threatening the existence of various coastal cities of the world as well.
