Antarctic thaw 'will raise sea levels'

Tue Dec 1 2009 07:44:24

Melting Antarctic ice could help sea levels rise by up to 1.4m (4.5ft) by the end of the century, scientists have warned.

And temperatures could rise by about 3C on the continent over the coming decades as the hole in the ozone layer closes, the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research said.

The Antarctic Peninsula in the west of the continent is seeing rapid ice loss in the face of rising temperatures, but other parts of the continent have been cooling - a phenomenon cited as evidence against global warming by climate change sceptics.

Professor John Turner of the British Antarctic Survey said researchers were "very confident" that the hole in the ozone layer had played a major part in maintaining cooler temperatures in Antarctica.

With measures to control the CFC gases that have caused the hole in the ozone layer, scientists say they expect it to "heal" in 50 to 60 years - exposing the Antarctic to the full effect of climate change, increasing temperatures and reducing sea ice by around a third.

The predicted sea level rise is significantly higher than the figures produced by the intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change on 2007, because that review did not include the impact of ice sheets on sea level rises, said Prof Turner.

© Independent Television News Limited 2009. All rights reserved.