West Antarctic Ice Shelves' Rapid Melting Deemed Unavoidable, Predicted to Accelerate Sea Level Rise this Century, Studies Show

"Unstoppable" Melting Expected to Increase Threefold Even Under Paris Agreement Targets, Could Raise Sea Levels by Over 17 Feet Long Term, Warns British Antarctic Survey.

The rapid melting of West Antarctica’s ice shelves due to rising ocean temperatures caused by climate change is now considered “unavoidable” and will likely accelerate sea level rise, according to new research published in Nature Climate Change.
Scientists predict ocean warming and ice shelf melting will occur even with significant reductions in fossil fuel emissions. The Amundsen Sea in West Antarctica could heat at three times the historical rate even if global warming is limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Even with optimal global temperature control measures, melting could intensify threefold compared to the 20th century. This implies that Antarctica’s contribution to sea level rise could increase rapidly over the coming decades.
The total melting of all glaciers in West Antarctica would cause seas to rise by an average of over 17 feet. The Thwaites and Pine Island glaciers in this region have been shedding ice into the ocean for decades and pose a significant threat.
To mitigate the melting, not only do greenhouse gas emissions need to be reduced but some existing pollution needs to be removed from the atmosphere. Although the West Antarctic Ice Sheet's fate seems sealed, other vulnerable sections can still be saved by reducing heat-trapping emissions.