Antarctica may appear remote but its ice sheet is deeply connected to the global climate system. It stores enough ice to raise global mean sea level (GMSL) by several tens of metres, influences ocean circulation worldwide, and plays a central role in the energy balance of the Earth. Changes occurring around Antarctica therefore have consequences far beyond the polar region, affecting ecosystems, coastlines, and societies across the globe. By way of comparison, the other Earth’s current ice sheet, that of Greenland, contains a quantity of water that is capable of raising global sea level by several metres.
Authors: Florence COLLEONI for POLAR WATCH.
This article is available on the Cercle Polaire website.
The French version is available here.
