About Video

One Page Synopsis

Imagine a world where melting ice caps have raised sea levels by 20 feet. Where the combined effects of floods and storms inundate large areas of the worlds low lying coastlines. Where the great cities of the world are under water. Is this the fate that awaits mankind? It is a nightmare scenario - but what is the scientific basis for these fears of sea-level rise?

Sea-level rise is nothing new, during the earth’s 4 billion year history the poles have repeatedly frozen and melted, raising and lowering sea-level. But these natural variations have broken down. Something is wrong, sea level rise is accelerating. The source of the problem lies in the immense sheets of ice that cover the land around both the north and south poles.

We travel to Greenland to meet Professor Konrad Steffen, veteran of the Arctic and ice sheet expert, who explains how measuring the speed of the glaciers are the key to predicting how fast sea levels will rise.

The Antarctic ice sheet, long thought to be stable, is now being labeled ‘the awakening giant’ as scientists are realizing parts of it are starting to melt. If the entire Antarctic ice sheet melted it could raise sea levels by some 225 feet alone. We meet Dr. Eric Rignot, at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab, who uses satellites to monitor this remote icy world.

There are two types of ice in the world – that which sits on land and that which sits on the sea. Renowned glaciologist Prof. Richard Alley of Penn State explains how melting sea ice doesn’t make the sea levels rise as it has already displaced its mass in the water. However the fact that the extent of Arctic summer sea ice has shrunk by a quarter in the past half-century, and has lost almost half its thickness is alarming. Don Perovich of the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Lab in New Hampshire explains how we could be nearing a ‘tipping point’ – where the Earth’s temperature spirals upwards dramatically. For as the white ice – which reflects heat – melts, it will be replaced by dark water, and this absorbs heat.

The startling fact is that the last time the climate was this hot, sea levels were over 13 feet higher than today. Dr Jonathan Overpeck of Arizona University tells us how he uses coral reefs to assess past sea levels. He also reveals the startling fact that with a 21 foot sea rise, the impact on Florida would be particularly devastating with a third being lost to the sea.

Warming sea temperatures also mean more hurricanes. Hurricanes, combined with sea level rises and storm surges, could spell the alarming diagnosis that innumerable Katrinas will be happening around the world in the near future.

This programme investigates how close we are to living in a world facing meltdown.

ASPECT RATIO 4.3
MAIN SOUNDTRACK English Stereo
DISC FORMAT DVD 5
REGION 2/4 PAL (UK)
CLASSIFICATION Exempt
Available for shipment worldwide

Runtime: 54 minutes