Earth's "crushed continent" is rising.

(NLĐO) - Scientists are witnessing a continent rising too rapidly from the ocean – a phenomenon that could have catastrophic consequences.

According to Science Alert, the continent that is rising and causing concern is Antarctica. This is happening because this massive landmass is gradually losing weight.

The Antarctic continent is rising rapidly, as evidenced by land deformation - Photo: MCGILL UNIVERSITY

In a new study, recently published in the scientific journal Science Advances, a team of authors led by Associate Professor Natalya Gomez from Mickil University stated that the rising of the Antarctic continent is due to its weakening and loss of ice.

Imagine this continent as a sponge, previously weighed down by a large rock. As the pressure lessens, it rises to the surface.

According to the authors, the consequences could be extremely serious in the current situation.

The rise of Antarctica is a process called "post-glacial uplift," which can be a double-edged sword.

The Earth's natural mechanisms could actually balance this, turning it into a positive event, but only if humans didn't sabotage it.

If emissions decrease rapidly, limiting global warming, then post-ice age uplift could act as a natural brake on ice mass loss.

This process will naturally lift the ice, slowing the flow of ice from land to the ocean, helping to reduce Antarctica's contribution to sea level rise by up to 40%.

Conversely, if humans continue to emit greenhouse gases that warm the planet, natural recovery will not be enough to "lock" the melting ice, but will instead push more seawater away from Antarctica.

This means sea levels will rise even faster and submerge densely populated areas.

According to the new model, which takes into account the rise of Antarctica, if we keep warming at a low level, sea levels will rise by about 1.7 meters by 2500.

But this figure would rise to 19.5 meters if global warming continues at its current rate.

"With nearly 700 million people living in coastal areas and the potential damage from rising sea levels reaching trillions of dollars by the end of this century, understanding the domino effect of melting ice in Antarctica is critically important," the study authors warn.

This study once again highlights the risk of a catastrophic global disaster if humanity fails to curb the rate of planetary warming through its own civilization.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/luc-dia-bi-de-bep-cua-trai-dat-dang-noi-len-196240820095312413.htm