Antarctica is approximately 14.2 million square
kilometers or 5.5 million square miles in size and 98% of its land is covered in thick
ice. But what would happen if it all suddenly melted at once? It would be very, very bad. The coastlines of every continent on planet
Earth would be redrawn as ocean levels rose. Inland seas and extensive flooding of rivers
would create new bodies of water where major metropolises once existed. Entire nations
would be consumed by the waves of the swelling oceans. Virtually no one would survive the
melting of Antarctica. But in order to determine the impact and the
devastating consequences a total melting of Antarctica would have on our planet and the
survival of certain populations, we need to determine what would actually happen if all
of the ice surrounding the southernmost continent melted. While Antarctica isn’t completely frozen,
a large chunk of its mass is composed of snow and ice. There are two major ice sheets in
Antarctica. The Western Antarctic Ice Sheet and the Eastern Antarctic Ice Sheet. The Western
Antarctic Ice Sheet holds enough frozen water to significantly change sea levels around
the world if it completely melts. It is estimated that sea levels would rise by approximately
3.2 meters or 10.5 feet if the entirety of the Western Antarctic Ice Sheet melted and
the resulting waters flowed into the ocean. However, it is the Eastern Antarctic Ice Sheet
that holds the most frozen water in the region and would cause catastrophic flooding if it
were to completely melt. The Eastern Antarctic Ice Sheet contains enough
water to raise sea levels by an astonishing 60 meters or 197 feet. If both ice sheets
were to melt simultaneously, it could raise ocean levels by around 64 meters or 210 feet.This
would result in many islands, major cities, and entire countries being swept underwater.
On top of the ice sheets, Antarctica also contains snow and pack ice that surrounds
the continent and would also contribute to sea level rise if melted. Before we examine exactly which parts of the
world would be submerged due to the immense flooding that would come from Antarctica melting
and if where you live will give you a chance to survive this disastrous event, we have
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this channel. And now, back to Antarctica. As we were saying,
before we examine exactly which parts of the world would be submerged due to the immense
flooding that would come from Antarctica melting and if where you live will give you a chance
to survive this disastrous event, we need to break down a few key statistics.. First, the rate at which the ice sheets of
Antarctica are currently melting is causing sea levels to rise by about .22 millimeters
per year. This may not seem like a lot, but over time, this addition of water to our oceans
adds up. Ice sheets around the world are currently melting faster than at any previous time in
recent history due to climate change. All evidence indicates that human actions, such
as burning fossil fuels like oil, coal, and natural gas to generate energy, are releasing
greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Methane from unsustainable
horticultural practices is being released into the atmosphere, exacerbating the climate
change crisis. These types of gasses trap the radiation from the sun and cause global
temperatures to increase, which in turn causes ice and glaciers to melt and dump the water
they once contained into the oceans. It is estimated that the average temperature of
Earth could increase by 2 to 9.7°F or 1.1 to 5.4°C by the end of the century. This has led to models created by scientists
to predict that sea levels could rise by as much as 60 millimeters or 2.36 inches by 2100.
Again even though this does not seem like a lot, we need to remember that there are
many places around the world where people live along the coast at sea level. Even an
increase of a few millimeters or inches could cause these areas to flood, displacing millions
of inhabitants. Next, let’s now examine how much water is
actually contained within the ice and snow of Antarctica. We can estimate that Antarctica
possesses around 18,000,000 square kilometers or around 6,950,000 square miles of ice and
snow. The average thickness of the ice in Antarctica is around 1.9 kilometers or 1.18
miles. This means the volume of water contained in the snow and ice of Antarctica is around
34,000,000 km³ or 8,157,000 miles cubed. Using these estimates, sea levels could rise
by as much as 88.6 meters or 291 feet if all of the ice and snow melted from Antarctica
and ran off into the ocean. It is clear that the melting of all the ice
and snow in Antarctica will cause a massive amount of water to be released and sea levels
to rise drastically. Before we look at the specific areas that will be underwater if
this were to happen, let’s discuss some basic facts about Antarctica and what a total
melting of its ice and snow would mean for the continent itself. Antarctica is the 5th largest continent on
Earth and it is bigger than both Europe and Australia. To be clear about just how extensive
the ice sheets of Antarctica are, they cover around 20% of the Southern Hemisphere., so
it probably comes as no surprise that the Antarctic Ice Sheet is the largest single
piece of ice on the entire planet. Interestingly, the ice sheets of Antarctica are not always
the same size. During the summer, the sea ice around Antarctica is approximately 3 million
square kilometers or 1.2 million square miles. However, by the end of winter, the sea ice
of Antarctica can extend to 19 million square kilometers or 7.3 million square miles. The
growth and shrinkage of the sea ice occur mainly around the Ross Ice Shelf and the Ronne
Ice Shelf. It is here that glacial ice from the interior of the continent moves towards
the lower elevation regions at around 10 to 1,000 meters or 33 to 32,800 feet per year. This shifting of the ice is natural and influences
sea levels, but it is a gradual process, unlike what would happen if all of the ice and snow
in Antarctica melted at the same time. The continent itself is divided by the Transantarctic
Mountains, which reach elevations of 4,500 meters or 14,764 feet. The elevation of the
Antarctic Ice Sheet is around 2,000 meters or 6,562 feet but can rise as high as 4,000
meters or 13,123 feet near the middle of the continent. Surprisingly, Antarctica actually
isn’t a solid landmass. If all of the ice were to melt, Antarctica would be a series
of archipelagos with frigid water flowing between them. If Antarctica were to melt, it wouldn’t
just affect the lands of the planet it would also cause massive changes to the composition
of the oceans as well. The waters around Antarctica are around 4,000 to 5,000 meters or 13,100
to 16,400 feet deep and are a part of the Southern Ocean, which is all salt water. The
ice and snow of Antarctica are made up of mostly fresh water though. If all of this
freshwater were to melt and run off into the ocean, it would change the salinity of the
waters surrounding the continent. This would have drastic consequences on the density of
the water in the region, which could throw off the ocean conveyor belt that carries nutrients
and water around the globe. The ocean conveyor belt, formally known as the "thermohaline
circulation," is the vast system of global ocean currents driven by differences in temperature
and salinity. The ocean conveyor belt also plays a pivotal role in the planet’s weather
systems as well. Therefore, if Antarctica melted, it would impact both the ocean and
atmospheric systems of planet Earth. Technically Antarctica is a desert, which
may sound confusing as most of the time, we think of deserts as being hot sandy places,
but Antarctica is classified as a desert because of its harsh climate and low levels of precipitation.
The continent is covered in ice not because it snows often but because it is so cold that
massive amounts of snow and ice have accumulated over millions of years. The interior regions
of Antarctica are believed to receive around 50 to 100 millimeters or 2 to 4 inches of
snow every year, making it one of the driest places on Earth. The waters around the continent can reach
temperatures as cold as -10° to -30°C or 14° to -22°F. However, water temperatures
in some regions can get as high as 9°C or 48°F. The temperatures on land in Antarctica
can be drastically different depending on where you are located. For example, in the
interior regions of the continent where the mountains rise above the landscape, the temperatures
can dip below -60°C or -76°F in the winter and -20°C or -4°F in the summer. In 1983
Russian scientists at Vostok Research Station measured temperatures of -89.2°C or -128.6°F.
This was the coldest temperature ever recorded on Earth. Antarctica also plays a major role in regulating
the planet’s temperature by reflecting large amounts of the sun's radiation back into space.
This helps keep the planet cool and allows for the moderate temperatures we enjoy around
much of the world. However, as more ice and snow melts due to climate change, less radiation
is being reflected back into space, this causes global temperatures to increase, leading to
even more snow and ice melting, which generates a negative feedback loop. This process is
one of the very real dangers we face in the future that could result in all of the ice
in Antarctica melting over a period of time. Even though Antarctica is one of the harshest
environments on the planet, life still finds a way to survive on the continent. Lichens,
mosses, and several other forms of vegetation grow there. In fact, around 130 species have
been recorded in Antarctica, including 100 types of different mosses. However, due to
a lack of water and extreme cold, there are no bushes or trees in Antarctica. The waters
around the continent are teeming with life, including fish, whales, and other marine organisms.
And, of course, Antarctica’s most famous residents are the 20 million penguins that
call its frozen landscape home. The tragic part is that if all of the ice and snow melted
on the continent, almost all of the species that currently live there would perish. Now let’s examine what would happen to other
parts of the world if Antarctica melted. There are definitely regions that would fare better
than others. However, it is important to note that even if where you live doesn’t find
itself underwater, the climate and weather patterns across the planet would shift dramatically,
which could result in your home lying in the path of powerful and deadly storms. We will start with North America. If Antarctica
melted, pretty much the entire east coast of the United States would be wiped out. Boston,
New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. would all be underwater. The states of
Rhode Island, Delaware, and Maryland would no longer exist. The southern states would
be ravaged by flooding resulting in almost all of Florida being submerged beneath the
Atlantic Ocean. Charlestown and much of the rest of North and South Carolina would also
be sunk. In the southern United States, the Mississippi
Delta would swell, and the ocean would consume New Orleans and much of the south. A giant
bay would develop where the Mississippi River once flowed and would extend deep into the
middle of the country. On the West Coast, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego
would be lost. The hills of central California would become islands as water flowed into
the valleys that used to be Tulare Lake, which was once the largest lake west of the Mississippi. It is important to remember that as the sea
levels rise by as much as 64 meters or 210 feet, ocean water would continuously pour
into rivers and flood valleys around the world. This is what would happen to Montreal as the
waters of the Saint Lawrence rose and drown the city. Halifax and Vancouver would also
find themselves underwater. Much of the coasts of Mexico would be submerged,
and around half of the Yucatan Peninsula would be underwater. Instead of one big island,
Cuba would be broken up into an archipelago. Havana would be at the bottom of the now much
deeper Atlantic. In fact, most of the islands in the Bahamas and Caribbean would be completely
wiped off the map. If all of the ice in Antarctica were to melt, pretty much every coastal city
in North America would either be severely flooded or completely underwater. Major rivers
would flood, and new bays would form. Now let's move to South America. Like with
the Mississippi, the Amazon River would swell, and a huge inlet sea would emerge in the middle
of the continent. The State of the Amazon in Brazil would be almost completely submerged.
Georgetown, Rio de Janeiro, Montevideo, and Buenos Aires would be underwater due to increased
sea levels. In the southern part of the continent, the Paraguay River Basin would flood and result
in another gigantic Atlantic inlet that would cover parts of Argentina and Uruguay. Although much of the east coast of South America
would be devastated, the western coast wouldn’t be affected nearly as much. This is because
the Andes Mountains run along the west coast resulting in many cities residing at higher
elevations. However, small coastal towns around the continent would still be flooded as the
new shoreline moved further inland. It is also worth noting that Central America would
lose much of its coasts. The Panama Canal and the surrounding area would suffer catastrophic
flooding that would create a larger and wider passage between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans
where the canal was once located. This would result in a passageway where huge ocean liners
could easily pass through. Next, let’s look at Africa, where much of
the continent would actually survive unscathed. Unfortunately, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau,
and Guinea would not fall under that category. These countries would be mostly flooded and
become part of the Atlantic Ocean due to the fact that much of their lands lie at sea level.
Dakar, Bissau, Freetown, and Monrovia would no longer exist. Abidjan, Accra, and Lagos
would also be underwater. There would be slight flooding in southern Africa that would threaten
Cape Town, but the rest of the region would see little change. In East Africa, Maputo in Mozambique, Dar
es Salaam in Tanzania, and Mogadishu in Somalia would be consumed by the Indian Ocean. The
Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden would swell and flood any towns and cities along their coasts.
Then there is the southern Mediterranean. As sea levels rise, water from the Atlantic
would pour through the Strait of Gibraltar and cause the Mediterranean Sea to expand.
This would result in Tunis, Tripoli, and Alexandria sinking underwater. The cities would be lost
like Plato’s Atlantis. The Nile Delta would also flood, causing much of Cairo to be destroyed.
The waters of the Mediterranean would pour across the lower elevations of Libya, creating
a new gigantic Mediterranean Island off the coast of the newly carved-out shores of North
Africa. On the other side of the Mediterranean, Southern
Europe would see relatively mild flooding. Of course, there would be some exceptions.
For example, Venice and much of northern Italy would be consumed by the Adriatic and Ligurian
Seas. The influx of water into the Mediterranean would also cause the Black and Caspian Seas
to surge tremendously, enveloping parts of Eastern Europe. The coasts of Turkey, Bulgaria,
Romania, and Ukraine would be decimated. The Volga River would flood, and the Caspian Sea
would extend north, flooding huge amounts of land in Western Russia. But all of the cities, towns, and lands lost
in southern and eastern Europe are nothing compared to what would happen in northern
Europe. The United Kingdom would lose somewhere around 20% of its land. London and much of
Eastern Britain would be underwater. Almost all of the Netherlands and Denmark would become
part of the North Sea. A series of islands would form where Estonia and Latvia once existed,
as the Black Sea covers much of the landscape. Stockholm, Helsinki, and St. Petersburg would
all be submerged. The new north coast of Europe would start deeper into Poland, Germany, and
France. Europe could lose as much as on third of its lands to the rising waters caused by
the melting of ice in Antarctica. In Asia, the Persian Gulf would extend northward
as the waters of the Indian Ocean rose and poured across the landscape. Lands as far
as Baghdad would be underwater. The once desolate deserts of Iraq would be covered by waves
of the new Persian Gulf. Kuwait City, Doha, and Dubai would also be a part of this new
inlet. Around 160 million people would be displaced as Bangladesh and West Bengal were
flooded by the Meghna River, and the entire region became a new bay. South Vietnam and
much of Indonesia would no longer exist. Cities like Ho Chi Min, Jakarta, and Bangkok would
be at the bottom of the ocean where the Indian meets the Pacific. Many of the 7,640 islands that make up the
Philippines would be underwater, with the major cities of Cebu and Manila flooded beyond
recognition. Entire South Asian populations would be wiped off the map, and entire islands
would be completely under the waters of the Pacific Ocean. Much of eastern China would
flood, drowning around 600 million people currently living there. The waters of the
Yellow Sea would extend all the way to Beijing, which would likely end up underwater as well.
Shanghai would be long gone, and over a quarter of China’s land would be a part of the ocean. Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Seoul would be under
the East China Sea, the Sea of Japan, and the Pacific Ocean. The entire City-State of
Singapore would be submerged, the only reminder of the city would be the tops of the tallest
skyscrapers sticking out of the waves. Untold numbers of people would need to either move
further inland or would perish. Then again, entire communities may arise on floating houses
that subsist off plants and animals that live in the waters that were once their homes. 4 out of 5 Australians live on the coast,
and when sea levels rise as a result of the complete melting of Antarctica, almost every
major city in the country would be affected. Sydney, Brisbon, Melbourne, and Perth would
be drowned. The Spencer Gulf would flood into Lake Torrens, and a gigantic inland sea would
form with small islands created by the tops of hills poking out of the water. The desert
that envelopes much of central Australia would remain, which means that the only hope for
the inhabitants of the nation is to live in the increasingly narrow strips of temperate
land along the coasts that can sustain large populations of people. New Zealand would be
broken up into smaller islands, with Auckland and Wellington being submerged in the Pacific
Ocean. According to the United Nations, around 40%
of the world’s population lives within 100 kilometers or 62 miles from the coast. That
is approximately 3.16 billion people, all of whom would be affected by the flooding
caused if all the ice in Antarctica melted. There is no denying that this would be a global
catastrophe, but the most terrifying part is that climate change is pushing the planet
in this very direction. All of the snow and ice in Antarctica would never melt all at
once, but over time, the ice sheets of the southernmost continent are pouring more and
more water into the ocean, which is causing sea levels to rise at an alarming rate. This doesn’t even take into consideration
the amount of ice melting in the Arctic and from the Greenland Ice Sheet, which covers
around 80% of the island. As these ice sheets and glaciers around the world melt, the sea
levels will continue to rise more and more. In the not-too-distant future, many of the
cities and lands mentioned in this video could be underwater. Islands around the world, like
the Maldives, will sink below the ocean’s surface and be lost forever. At this point,
it is too late to stop the flooding and destruction of some regions to the increasing sea level
as a result of ice in Antarctica and around the world melting. The melting of Antarctica and other ice sheets
is not just going to cause sea levels to rise, it will also result in drastic changes in
weather patterns around the world. Hypothetically, if all of the ice melted in Antarctica, it
would cause global temperatures to skyrocket. More of the sun’s radiation would remain
in the atmosphere and cause the intensity of storms to increase. Humongous hurricanes
would sweep across the enlarged oceans. Tornadoes would rip through the middle of continents
that were spared from flooding. It would end up being a worldwide doomsday scenario. What it comes down to is that if all of the
ice in Antarctica melted, sea levels would rise tremendously, washing away the coastlines
of every continent and creating new bays, inlets, and inland seas that would decimate
major cities. That being said, even people who live in areas that would not flood would
experience intense climatic changes such as increased temperatures and more intense storms.
So, even though over 40% of the entire human race would be wiped out almost immediately
if all of the ice and snow in Antarctica melted due to sea levels rising, the rest of the
population would be threatened by other global changes. Now watch “Why US Removed its 9th Largest
Lake.” Or check out “What If The Earth Stopped Spinning - Minute By Minute.”
