Three million years ago, the Earth was several degrees warmer than today, CO₂ levels then were like ours now. Yet during this time, the ice sheets in Antarctica collapsed, and some estimates show that sea levels rose up to 25 meters, transforming coastlines and reshaping ecosystems.
In this webinar, Dr. Javier Blasco from the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) in Potsdam delves into the mid-Pliocene Warm Period (mPWP), a climate moment that feels eerily familiar. But the consequences for Antarctica were profound. Blasco’s work uses advanced climate and ice sheet models to explore what caused these massive changes—and what they mean for us as we face a warming future.
Key Insights from the Webinar:
- Thresholds for Ice Collapse: Small ocean temperature increases (as little as 0.5 K) can trigger major changes in Antarctica’s West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS).
- Sea-Level Rise Risks: A maximum rise of 16 meters during the mPWP, driven by Antarctic ice loss, could be a glimpse into what lies ahead.
- Rethinking Old Assumptions: Elevated ocean temperatures—not just dramatic events like marine ice cliff instability—could destabilize key glaciers.
- The Big Picture: The mid-Pliocene is a stark reminder of how fragile the balance is for Antarctic ice sheets and global sea levels.
Why It Matters
Understanding tipping points of the Antarctic ice sheets is more than an academic exercise. These thresholds matter because they help us predict how much and how quickly sea levels might rise. They show us where to look for warning signs in our oceans and why small changes in temperature have outsized impacts.
Watch the full webinar now:
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