Archive · 24 Jun 2025
Ancient Ice Sheets Help Predict Future Sea Level Rise
Imagine the Earth's climate like a giant seesaw.
When ice sheets, like those in Antarctica and Greenland, get bigger, sea levels go down.
When they melt, sea levels rise.
Scientists study old shorelines, like the ones in Cornwall, to learn about this seesaw.
They're also drilling deep into the Antarctic ice to find clues about the past.
By understanding how the ice sheets behaved in the past, scientists can predict how much the sea level will rise in the future.
This helps communities, like those in Bude, prepare for the changes that are coming.
Scientists study ancient sea levels, like those in Cornwall, to understand future sea level rise.
These studies involve analyzing raised beaches and geological data to determine the source of past high sea levels.
An international team will drill deep under the Antarctic ice to recover sediments for analysis.
The team will analyze the sediments for clues about how the West Antarctic ice sheet might change in the future.
Communities are beginning to plan for the effects of sea level rise, like a climate jury in Bude.
- Who
- Scientists, engineers, and international teams are involved in research.
- What
- Scientists are studying ancient ice sheets and past sea levels to understand and predict future sea level rise.
- When
- Scientists are planning to return to Antarctica in late 2025 to drill and analyze sediments.
- Where
- Studies are focused in locations like Cornwall and Antarctica.
- Why
- To understand and predict future sea level rise in relation to climate change.
Community vs. Climate Change
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Preparing for Rising Seas
Community vs. Climate Change
Communities at risk from sea level rise need to find solutions to mitigate and adapt to climate change.
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- Location of Study
- Cornwall, Antarctica
- Focus
- Past and future sea level rise
- Method
- Analyzing raised beaches and ice core samples
- CO₂ levels in the atmosphere
- Currently as high as during the mid-Pliocene epoch
- Team Project Goal
- To retrieve sediment samples from deep below the Antarctic ice.