Antarctic ice disappeared 2700 billion tons during the last 25 years

The rapid melting of Antarctica has pushed global sea levels to almost 1cm since the early 1990s, threatening many coastal areas from Pacific islands to Florida state.

This is a new study, published by an international group of scientists in the June 14 issue of Nature.

The largest iceberg ever recorded, separated from the Antarctic Peninsula in 2017. (Photo: NASA).

According to the study, Antarctic ice is melting at an alarming rate , with about 2,700 billion tons of ice disappearing in 25 years, from 1992 to 2017. Western Antarctica appears to be " more sensitive" to gas change. postage when most of the melting ice (more than 70%) in this area. The amount of melting ice is quite small in the East Antarctic, with about 31 tons / year since 2012. The annual melting speed is also faster, to 219 tons / year since 2012, compared with 76 billion tons in the previous period. .

The study also shows that with current trends, Antarctica is likely to become the largest source of sea level rise. It is forecasted that by the end of this 21st century, Antarctica alone may increase the sea level by 16cm. Scientists warn that rising sea levels threaten many coastal cities and communities in the lowlands, where hundreds of millions of people are living.

The study was carried out by a group of scientists working with the US Aerospace Agency (NASA) and the European Space Agency. While other scientists measured melting ice with a method, the team looked at this phenomenon in 24 ways, using 10 to 15 satellites, aerial measurement methods, on the ground and tissue. simulated on a computer.