Antarctic Ice Melt – Sea Level Rise on Coral Islands

GeographyRegions & CountriesAges 12–13

A map of Antarctica seen from the South Pole: the continent is covered by a thick ice sheet, ringed by sea ice that expands in winter and shrinks in summer. Set how much global temperature rises, then press Run to advance through the years: sea ice shrinks, the ice sheet thins, and sea level rises, all tracked on the chart below. The panel on the right shows a low Pacific coral island (Oceania) just a few metres high: wherever the water reaches, that part of the island floods and turns saline.