National Geographic News, Reporting Your World Daily

Monday, November 23, 2009

Photo: Sea Level Rise Won't Be a "Hollywood Cataclysm"


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Oceans will likely not rise to the cataclysmic 16 feet (5 feet) suggested by some scientists, says a new analysis of glaciers worldwide.

Researchers examined how much melting glaciers in Antarctica (above, icebergs near the Palmer Archipelago), Greenland, and other regions would have to speed up to create a gigantic spike in sea level.

The team found a 5-foot (1.5-meter) increase to be a more plausible estimate.

Photograph by George F. Mobley/NGS