A new study shows sea levels will rise higher than previously¹ believed by the end of this century, due to rapidly melting ice from Antarctica.

Using sophisticated computer models, American researchers Rob deConto and David Pollard found that at the current rate of greenhouse gas emissions², the world's oceans would rise by close to two meters by the year 2100, and as much as 15 meters by the year 2500.

By contrast, the latest report from the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change had predicted sea levels would rise just under one meter by 2100, mainly from warming seas, melting glaciers³ and the Greenland ice shelf.

If DeConto and Pollard's predictions, published Wednesday in the journal Nature are correct, many coastal⁴ areas, such as south Florida and New Orleans in the United States, the city of Shanghai, and Bangladesh could be seriously threatened by rising sea levels.

一项新研究显示，由于南极冰川迅速融化，海平面到本世纪末的上升幅度将超过以往的预测。

美国科学家德孔托和波拉德利用复杂的电脑模型发现，按照目前温室气体的排放量估算，世界海平面到2100年将上升将近两米，到2500年将上升多达15米。

与此形成对照的是，联合国的政府间气候变化专门委员会曾预测，世界海平面到2100年将上升不到一米，其主要因素包括海水变暖以及冰山和格陵兰冰架融化。

德孔托和波拉德的研究报告发表在《自然》杂志上。如果他们的预测准确，很多沿海地区都可能受到海平面升高的严重威胁，其中包括美国的佛罗里达南部、新奥尔良、还有上海和孟加拉国。