Quicker polar ice loss to drive up sea levels

(BBC): Ice loss from Antarctica and Greenland has accelerated over the last 20 years, research shows, and will soon become the biggest driver of sea level rise. From satellite data and climate models, scientists calculate that the two polar ice sheets are losing enough ice to raise sea levels by 1.3mm each year. Overall, sea levels are rising by about 3mm (0.12 inches) per year. Writing in Geophysical Research Letters, the team says ice loss here is speeding up faster than models predict. If the increase rate persists, water from the two polar ice sheets could have added 15cm (5.9 inches) to the average global sea level by 2050.

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