Temperature changes and melt time are connected to a response space of just a few centuries, as a new study published in the journal Nature points out.

New research has compared changes in ice volume with replications of the polar temperatures of Greenland and Antarctica, observing the extraordinary speed of response hitherto unknown, which could lead to a rise in sea level of more than one meter.

On the other hand, it has been discovered that the temporal spaces of extensive ice correspond to rapid changes of between one and two meters in sea level per century, thanks to a new sediment dating method that has allowed an unprecedented record of sea level to be obtained.

“These are intriguing clues in fundamental aspects of the Earth system’s response to climate change that deserve further investigation,” said Eelco Rohling, a professor of Oceanography and Climate Change at the University of Southampton who led the research.