"The complete melt of the Greenland ice sheet could occur at lower global temperatures than previously thought, a study in the journal Nature Climate Change showed on Sunday, increasing the threat and severity of a rise in sea level."

"Substantial melting of land ice could contribute to long-term sea level rise of several meters, potentially threatening the lives of millions of people.

'Our study shows that a temperature threshold for melting the (ice sheet) exists and that this threshold has been overestimated until now,' said scientists at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, who used computer simulations of the ice sheet's evolution to predict its future behavior.

A complete ice sheet melt could happen if global temperatures rose between 0.8 and 3.2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, with a best estimate of 1.6 degrees, the scientists said.

Previous research has suggested the ice sheet could melt in a range of a 1.9 to 5.1 degree temperature rise, with a best estimate of 3.1 degrees."

Nina Chestney reports for Reuters March 12, 2012. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"Ice Caps Not Shrinking as Much as Once Thought, New Data Show" (Christian Science Monitor 2/8/12) [3]