Scientists Study Sea Levels 125,000 Years Ago And It’s a Terrifying Look at Our Future
▻https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-looked-at-sea-levels-125-000-years-ago-and-it-s-a-terrifyin
What is striking about the last interglacial record is how high and quickly sea level rose above present levels. Temperatures during the last interglacial were similar to those projected for the near future, which means melting polar ice sheets will likely affect future sea levels far more dramatically than anticipated to date.
The last interglacial is not a perfect scenario for the future. Incoming solar radiation was higher than today because of differences in Earth’s position relative to the Sun.
Carbon dioxide levels were only 280 parts per million, compared with more than 410 parts per million today.
Crucially, warming between the two poles in the last interglacial did not happen simultaneously. But under today’s greenhouse-gas-driven climate change, warming and ice loss are happening in both regions at the same time.
This means that if climate change continues unabated, Earth’s past dramatic sea level rise could be a small taste of what’s to come.
