AGU: Geophysical Research Letters

 

Editors' Highlight

Sea level rise from glaciers and ice caps

Glaciers and ice caps can be split into regions where snow is accumulated and regions where snow and ice melt—if more snow accumulates than melts, the glacier will advance and grow larger. Currently, accumulation areas for mountain glaciers are very small; melting rates are surpassing accumulation rates, leading to glacier thinning and retreat. By analyzing mass balance data from 86 mountain glaciers and ice caps from around the world, Bahr et al. (2009) found that given current accumulation areas and climate regimes, glaciers will lose about 27% of their volume before attaining equilibrium, a state where accumulation equals loss. As a result, at least 184 mm of sea level rise will occur through melting of the world's mountain glaciers and ice caps even if climate does not continue to warm. However, if the climate continues to warm along current trends, at least 373 mm of sea level rise over the next 100 years is expected as glaciers and ice caps lose at least 55% of their volume.

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