What would happen if all the ice on the earth melted?

99% of the fresh water ice on the earth is located in Greenland and Antarctica, and a large amount of fresh water ice melts into the ocean every year.

Usually, it takes hundreds to thousands of years to completely melt. Freshwater, what if something happens to cause the global freshwater ice to melt on a large scale overnight?

When we fall asleep, the sea level will rise by 66 meters. Coastal cities such as new york, Shanghai and London will be flooded, and as many as 40% of the world's population will be forced to leave their homes.

When all this chaos happens on the ground, the same sinister things will happen underground. All the rising seawater will seep into the more inland underground reservoir, forcing it into the nearby fresh water aquifer.

You know, all the equipment that supplies us with drinking water, irrigation systems and power generation cooling systems, and all aquifers will be destroyed. Things are terrible.

In addition, the ice in Greenland and Antarctica is made of fresh water, so when it melts, about 69% of the fresh water will directly enter the ocean. This will cause serious damage to our ocean currents and weather patterns.

Take the Gulf Stream as an example. It is a powerful ocean current, which brings warm air to northern Europe and relies on strong salt water from the Arctic. But a large amount of fresh water will dilute the water flow and may weaken or even completely stop it.

Some experts believe that if there is no such warm air, the temperature in northern Europe will plummet and may lead to the Little Ice Age.

This is not the worst. See what happens when the last 1% fresh water ice that does not belong to Greenland or Antarctica melts. Part of this 1% is located in the inland glaciers farther away.

Himalayan glaciers are one of the biggest threats, because they contain toxic chemicals, such as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT). Scientists have found that glaciers like this can store these chemicals for decades. However, with the melting of glaciers, glaciers will release these chemicals into rivers, lakes and groundwater reservoirs, and every glacier will be "poisoned".

The rest 1% is underground, mostly in the Arctic tundra, the so-called permafrost. Permafrost is organic matter that has been frozen underground for more than two years.

Now, one of the most direct problems of frozen soil thawing is mercury poisoning. That's right: Arctic permafrost contains about 6.5438+0.5 million gallons of tribute, almost equivalent to the total mercury content in other parts of the world.

Most importantly, organic matter in permafrost is delicious food for microorganisms. After digesting all this, they will release two of the most powerful greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide and methane.

Scientists estimate that this may double the current level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and may lead to a 3.5℃ increase in global temperature.

This may not sound like much, but it bid farewell to the Little Ice Age in Europe and even the rivers and lakes around the world. They will evaporate from high temperature, leading to large-scale drought and desert-like climate. All the excess water vapor in the atmosphere will lead to more frequent and intense storms, floods and hurricanes.

Therefore, all the new coastlines in the eastern United States will be one of the last places you want to live. On the contrary, there will be a large number of immigrants to Canada, Alaska, the Arctic and even the rest of the Antarctic.

Maybe you're right. It may never happen. After all, a mile of ice is enough to cover the entire North American continent.

So, the next time you hear a record-breaking high temperature or super hurricane, at least you know it will get worse. But scientists estimate that if we don't take action, the global temperature will only rise by 1℃, and the impact of climate change we see today will be irreversible.

So, yes, the situation may be worse, and it will be worse if you are not careful.