Oceans to rise faster than expected

Scientists have warned that the ice sheet in Greenland could melt faster than previously estimated towards the end of this century, pushing up sea levels higher than expected.

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison used figures from the end of the last ice age to estimate just how quickly large blocks of ice can melt.

They discovered that water melting from the ice sheet could cause sea levels – currently rising at 3mm per year – to rise at 9mm per year, almost one metre every century.

The Greenland ice sheet covers 1.7 million square kilometres, and holds enough water to push global sea levels up 70 metres if all the ice were to melt.

Head researcher Anders Carlson said the new estimate was not ‘catastrophic’ but was much bigger than current predictions.