Earth

What if all of Earth’s ice melted?

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September 13, 2016

This is a good video from ASAPScience about what would happen if all of Earth’s ice melted. It points out some important ongoing practices in the Arctic, for example undersea seismic blasting, which is used in the search for oil and which affects Arctic wildlife.

However, one thing this video does not do is give the timescale for scientists’ projections on ice melt and sea level rise.

Yes, the level of Earth’s seas is rising. Global sea level has risen by about 8 inches (20 cm) since reliable record keeping began in 1880, according to the very comprehensive National Climate Assessment report, produced in 2014.

That same reports says that sea level is projected to rise another 1 to 4 feet – up to 1.2 meters – by 2100. That’s a long way from the 70-meter sea level rise discussed in this video.

The real danger in our century from sea level rise is not inundation of many coastal cities by the sea. The danger is that – during extreme weather events – there’s an increased risk of storm surge and flooding, such as that in New York City when Superstorm Sandy struck in 2012.

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Bottom line: Video about what Earth would be like it all of its ice melted, featuring Bill Nye.

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September 13, 2016

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Earth

Eleanor Imster

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About the Author:

Eleanor Imster has helped write and edit EarthSky since 1995. She was an integral part of the award-winning EarthSky radio series almost since it began until it ended in 2013. She and her husband live in Tennessee, where they enjoy guitar playing and singing. They have 2 grown sons.

Deborah Byrd

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About the Author:

Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. In 2020, she won the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.