Antarctic Ice Melt Threatens Oceans for Centuries
Rapidly melting Antarctic ice could cause a decline of up to 40% in deep ocean water flows by 2050, which could have disastrous effects on global climate, the marine food chain, and even the stability of ice shelves. The “overturning circulation” of the oceans, which helps deliver heat, carbon, oxygen, and vital nutrients around the globe, could be threatened by the decline. The study warns that the effects of the decline could last “for centuries to come” and that the world urgently needs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to avoid disaster scenarios.
