Free Republic

WASHINGTON -- What will become of the nation's capital? The huge West Antarctic ice sheet is slowly collapsing, and two groups of scientists say the melting is now an unstoppable event. Melting ice will cause sea levels to rise higher than initially projected, which is cause for concern for D.C.-area scientists and local urban planners. The rising seas will affect local treasures, including the Chesapeake Bay and the country's iconic monuments along the National Mall.

Sea levels in the Arctic have been falling by a little more than two millimetres a year — exactly the opposite of what is happening elsewhere. “It’s enough to be significant. It’s remarkable that it’s the opposite sign of what we see in the rest of the world,” said researcher Remko Scharroo. A Dutch-U.K. team made the discovery after analyzing radar altimetry data gathered by Europe’s ERS-2 satellite. Scharroo said in an interview from his home in the U.S. that the drop in Arctic sea levels may be the result of climate change. “It might mean that the currents are...