What Would Happen if Antarctica Completely Melted?

Antarctica, the southernmost land on earth, together with its icy character, is a possible cause of the most unimaginable catastrophe. The idea of its ice melting all at once at the same time makes one shiver, and that is the very reason. The outcome of such an occurrence would be nothing but apocalyptic, altering the shores, flooding the whole cities, and initiating chaos on a global scale.

Picture a situation where the regular shapes of the continents are reshaped by the continuous advance of the seas that are rising. The big cities of North America to the far-flung villages of the Pacific Islands, no place on the earth would be excepted from the storm of the water rainfall. The flooding of coastal areas would be the start of it, as inland seas and swollen rivers would carve new landscapes from the carcass of our civilization.

But what on earth would be the consequences if the ice on Antarctica, which makes up 98% of the landmass, would melt?To understand the whole amount of destruction, we have to first of all know the size of Antarctica's icy areas. The two huge ice sheets, the Western and Eastern Antarctic Ice Sheets, contain so much ice that only a slight rise in the global sea levels can be expected.

The Western Antarctic Ice Sheet solely could boost the sea levels by 3. 2 meters (10. 5 feet), on the other hand, its eastern opposite is the one that can easily flood the coastlines with the amount of the rain of the Bible, the sea level can rise by a mammoth 60 meters (197 feet). If both the ice sheets melt at the same time, the catastrophe that would follow would be the ocean levels to rise by 64 meters (210 feet), which would be the end of the world as we know it, as a large number of nations and cities would be under the water.

The rate of ice loss in Antarctica, due to the human-caused climate change, has reached unbelievable levels. Each year, approximately 0. 22 millimeters of sea level rise can be caused by the ice sheets melting which is not a big deal but it is the cumulative impact of years of environmental degradation that is covered by this figure. The constant release of greenhouse gases, which comes from the industrial activities and deforestation, caused the chain reaction of global warming, which speeded up the decay of Antarctica's frozen stronghold.

Nonetheless, the danger from melting ice of Antarctica has a great impact on other things apart from the danger of rising seas. The salt-water flows into the oceanic currents may disturb the key mechanisms as the thermohaline circulation, thus causing the climatic upheaval over the whole world. With the heat rising and the weather becoming unpredictable, the delicate balance of the earth is on the brink of collapse.

Although Antarctica seems to be a cold world, it is the climate-regulator of the Earth. The huge icy areas of the world work as a mirror and reflect the solar radiation into space and thus help to keep the Earth at the right temperature. Nevertheless, as this icy layer is stripped away, the earth is deprived of a vital shoreline protection which in turn causes the temperatures to rise and the melting to get faster.

The consequences of the end of Antarctica go beyond the environmental disaster that we might have to face. Entire ecosystems are on the verge of falling apart, as the Antarctic animals, which are the first to tell about the destruction, face a death threat. With the richness of life that includes penguins and seals, the landscape of this harsh environment may become a barren wasteland in a few decades, leaving behind a life that is barren of biodiversity.

The fact that a grim reality of a melted Antarctica is staring at us will show that no place on the globe will be safe from the consequences of our deeds. From the busy streets of New York City to the faraway islands of the South Pacific, the life of humanity is at the point of being decided as we stand on the edge of the ecological disaster.

The vastness of the problems that face us at this time of our lives can be too much to handle, which makes us easily feel overpowered and helpless. Nevertheless, still, there is the possibility to be found in the combination of things that are like-minded and the desire for the green environment. The way to mitigate the worst effects of climate change is to adopt sustainable practices and support the forthcoming climate policies that can save our planet for the coming generations.

The melting of Antarctica is not a future thing hanging in the air; it is a harsh fact that needs our quick and firm action. The beginning of environmental degradation is the cause of the more present environmental issues; hence, to avoid the impending disaster and to pave the way to the more sustainable and resilient future, we have to face the root cause of the environmental degradation. We have the final say, but the results of non-action are so bad that we can't ignore them anymore.