We are all concerned about the increasing melting of the poles. We should look back to understand the extent of the problem. There are terrible lessons in the past that we can learn from. For example, the event when the sea rose 18 meters ago 14,600 years ago.
Gigantic mass
It was at the end of the last ice age. The sea level rose ten times more than it currently does. This is due to the meltwater pulse 1A (MWP-1A). This is the name of the event of the rise in sea level, which rose 18 meters in 500 years. Durham University recently published the article in Nature Communications. Use the latest modeling techniques to uncover the sources of MWP-1A. Most of the meltwater came from the ancient ice sheets of North America and Eurasia.
This flooded large areas in the lowlands. It was an incomparable discharge of fresh water into the ocean. The equivalent is like melting an ice sheet twice the size of Greenland in just 500 years. This had an impact on the entire global climate. Clarifying this phenomenon will improve the accuracy of climate models – one way to predict the future.
The results are particularly timely. The Greenland ice sheet is melting quickly. So the sea level is rising and the global ocean circulation is changing.
Prevent disasters
Concerning the results, lead author Yucheng Lin of the Department of Geography at Durham University notes: “Although it was determined over 30 years ago, it was surprisingly difficult to determine which ice sheet was the main cause of this dramatic rise in sea level.
Co-author is Dr. Pippa Whitehouse, Department of Geography, Durham University. He said: “Most of the rapid rise in sea levels was due to the melting of the ice sheets in North America and Scandinavia. Antarctica’s contribution is surprisingly small.
What made the ice melt? What influence did the massive influx of meltwater have on ocean currents in the Atlantic? This is very important to us today. For example, any disturbance of the Gulf Stream. Due to the melting of the Greenland ice sheet, this will have significant consequences for the UK climate. ‘
The sea rose 18 meters ago 14,600 years ago. It is unthinkable to imagine how that would destroy our planet today.
