From the polar ice caps to the Mediterranean: sea levels, between uncertainty and urgency!
After an introduction by Michaël Delafosse, Mayor of Montpellier, Gaël Durand, scientific delegate for polar affairs at CNRS-INSU, will give an overview of the polar ice caps and glaciers, the main contributors to rising sea levels.
Following his lecture, Gaël Durand will take part in a round-table discussion moderated by Mathieu Vidard, featuring Frédéric Bouchette, professor at the University of Montpellier and specialist in coastal dynamics, 2 representatives from the Occitanie Region and Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole, and Nicolas Clarin, project manager for coastal development and studies of coastal hydro-morpho-dynamic processes at CréOcean.
The faster-than-expected evolution of the polar ice caps has taken the scientific community by surprise, and led to an in-depth review of some of the fundamentals of glaciology, in particular the instability mechanisms specific to the ice caps.
However, uncertainty should not be confused with ignorance, nor used as a pretext for inaction: even if current knowledge remains imperfect, it is sufficient to alert us to major risks. It calls for courageous and urgent decisions, both in terms of adaptation and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Offered as part of the 29th edition of the Réunions des Sciences de la Terre. Organized by the Société Géologique de France, the Laboratoire Géosciences Montpellier and the Fédération BioGée. This evening is part of a shared desire for dialogue between science and society, to better understand future climate challenges and take concrete action at local level.
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