Danish Researchers Warn Antarctica Is Melting Like Greenland, Threatening Faster Sea-Level Rise

Antarctica is showing signs of rapid change similar to the Arctic, raising concerns that global sea levels could rise faster than previously predicted, Danish scientists warned on Friday.

“Antarctica has long been considered more stable than the Arctic. But today, the picture has changed,” said Ruth Mottram of the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI).

Mottram highlighted alarming trends: shrinking sea ice, rising temperatures, accelerating ice streams, and meltwater seeping into glacier crevasses, causing them to slide faster into the ocean. “These ice masses in the south have dramatic potential to raise sea levels in the north,” she added.

Mottram and six colleagues published their findings in Nature Geoscience, coining the term “Greenlandification of Antarctica”. By comparing Antarctica’s changes to well-documented shifts in Greenland, researchers aim to better predict the southern continent’s future.

“We use Greenland as a ‘laboratory’ to understand similar processes in Antarctica,” Mottram explained. “Unfortunately, our experiences from home are becoming increasingly relevant.”

The study notes that Antarctica’s ice is more dynamically influenced by regional atmospheric and oceanic changes than previously recognized.

For perspective: if Greenland’s ice sheet melted entirely, sea levels would rise about seven meters (23 feet). A total Antarctic melt could push sea levels over 50 meters, the DMI warned.