| Title | The Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheets Under 1.5 °C Global Warming |
| Publication Type | Journal Article |
| Year of Publication | 2018 |
| Authors | Pattyn, Frank, Ritz Catherine, Hanna Edward, Asay-Davis Xylar, DeConto Rob, Durand Gaël, Favier Lionel, Fettweis Xavier, Goelzer Heiko, Golledge Nicholas R., Munneke Peter Kuipers, Lenaerts Jan T. M., Nowicki Sophie, Payne Antony J., Robinson Alexander, Seroussi Hélène, Trusel Luke D., and van den Broeke Michiel |
| Journal | Nature Climate Change |
| Volume | 8 |
| Pages | 1053-1061 |
| Abstract / Summary | Even if anthropogenic warming were constrained to less than 2 °C above pre-industrial, the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets will continue to lose mass this century, with rates similar to those observed over the past decade. However, nonlinear responses cannot be excluded, which may lead to larger rates of mass loss. Furthermore, large uncertainties in future projections still remain, pertaining to knowledge gaps in atmospheric (Greenland) and oceanic (Antarctica) forcing. On millennial timescales, both ice sheets have tipping points at or slightly above the 1.5–2.0 °C threshold; for Greenland, this may lead to irreversible mass loss due to the surface mass balance–elevation feedback, whereas for Antarctica, this could result in a collapse of major drainage basins due to ice-shelf weakening. |
| URL | http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41558-018-0305-8 |
| DOI | 10.1038/s41558-018-0305-8 |
The Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheets Under 1.5 °C Global Warming
Even if anthropogenic warming were constrained to less than 2 °C above pre-industrial, the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets will continue to lose mass this century, with rates similar to those observed over the past decade. However, nonlinear responses cannot be excluded, which may lead to larger rates of mass loss. Furthermore, large uncertainties in future projections still remain, pertaining to knowledge gaps in atmospheric (Greenland) and oceanic (Antarctica) forcing. On millennial timescales, both ice sheets have tipping points at or slightly above the 1.5–2.0 °C threshold; for Greenland, this may lead to irreversible mass loss due to the surface mass balance–elevation feedback, whereas for Antarctica, this could result in a collapse of major drainage basins due to ice-shelf weakening.