Earth’s polar ice sheets vulnerable to even moderate global warming; New Orleans, much of southern Florida, expected to be permanently submerged

A new analysis of the geological record of the Earth’s sea level employs a novel statistical approach that reveals the planet’s polar ice sheets are vulnerable to large-scale melting even under moderate global warming scenarios. Such melting would lead to a large and relatively rapid rise in global sea level. According to the analysis, an additional 2 degrees of global warming could commit the planet to 6 to 9 meters (20 to 30 feet) of long-term sea level rise.