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Arctic glaciers rapidly thawing: study

Study says sea levels will rise 1.6 metres by 2100

Melting Arctic icecaps could raise world sea levels by 1.6 meters over 1990 levels by 2100, an international study shows. The rise is greater than previous scientific reports estimated, and represents an increased threat to coastlines around the globe, from Bangladesh to Florida, low-lying Pacific islands, as well as cities like London and Shanghai. The study, conducted by the Oslo-based Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program, found that the years from 2004 to 2010 have been the warmest on record in the Arctic. Melting from the Arctic glaciers, ice caps and the Greenland ice sheet contributed over 40 per cent of the global sea level rise between 2003 and 2008, the report said. AMAP is backed by the Arctic Council, an-eight nation intergovernmental forum whose members include Canada, the U.S. and Russia. The body is due to meet in Greenland on May 12.

Montreal Gazette

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