Researchers scale back forecast of sea-level rise

10-foot increase, not 20, calculated if West Antarctic Ice Sheet collapses

WASHINGTON – A collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet would raise sea levels by about 10 feet, not the nearly 20 feet as earlier predicted, according to a new study.

Researchers led by Jonathan L. Bamber of the University of Bristol in Britain report their recalculation of the hazard in Friday’s edition of the journal Science.

Previous studies had estimated that failure of the ice sheet, causing it to slide into the ocean, would raise global seas levels by 5-to-6 meters, or 16-to-19 feet.

But Bamber’s team calculated that the entire sheet would not collapse, with parts of it remaining grounded on the continent. Thus, they said, sea level rise would be only about 3 meters, or just under 10 feet.

MSNBC