What Will Happen To Our Planet After All the Polar Ice Melts

Around 50 million years ago, Earth had no glaciers. Today, it is partially covered with ice, but what will happen if the polar ice caps melt?

How will our world look like and what will it happen to the environment, to humans and the animals whose lives depend on ice?

Scientists already know how the melting of glaciers will change the world because the event is already taking place.

While the entire ice melting should take a few thousands of years, let’s take a look into the future and see how these changes will impact the entire planet. You’ll notice some of these events are already taking place!

20. A Longer Day

According to Steven Dutch (University of Wisconsin-Green Bay), when the polar ice caps melt, the day will be a little longer. How longer? Well… only around 2/3 of a second.

The melting of ice caps will redistribute the water on Earth and create a moment of inertia, so the rotation of Earth will be slightly slower.

19. Massive Earthquakes

It seems that all the ice melting on Earth will bring a slew of Biblical catastrophes. That includes massive earthquakes, explains Anthony Fordham, editor of Popular Science Australia.

He likens Earth with a Ping-Pong ball that has a dent in it…

Here’s his fun and doomsday explanation.

18. Antarctica’s Volcanoes Will Also Erupt

The dent in Earth is the pressure that the sheet of ice lays on top of Antarctica. When the ice is remove, Earth’s crust will pop out and cause intense earthquakes all over the world.

Not to mention that the seismic activities will also make all the active volcanoes in Antarctica erupt.

17. Civil War?

In an interview with the National Geographic in 2013, Dr. Hal Wanless from the University of Miami stated that the rising water could lead to war:

“We’re going to see civil unrest, war. You just wonder how—or if—civilization will function.”