Scientists make unexpected findings while studying one of Earth's major ice sheets: 'It's good news and it's bad news'

The West Antarctic Ice Sheet is in a vulnerable position, but the situation may be less dire than initially believed.

Scientists have been eyeing the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, or WAIS, for some time now. That's because its collapse, which seemed more and more likely given the warming climate, would raise sea levels by meters, per New Scientist.

The University of Cambridge conducted research on the Ronne ice shelf, which is part of the larger WAIS. The team found that it was able to stay intact during even warmer periods in the planet's history and published their findings in the Nature journal.

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During testing, they drilled a sample of the shelf around 650 kilometers away (roughly 404 miles) from its edge, where the edge would've been during the last interglacial period. Then, they measured the amount of sea salt within the core.

If the WAIS had melted, there would have been high levels. Instead, they found similar or even lower levels. With increasing concerns about Arctic coastal erosion as the climate warms, this finding provides some much-needed hope.

Rising sea levels are bad news for humans. According to the Canadian National Collaborating Center for Environmental Health, sea level rise will lead to more coastal flooding, displacement, and subsequent economic hardship.

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Ice sheets also support local wildlife in a variety of ways. Though life is barely supported on the sheet itself, many species live around the edges, relying on freshwater runoff for nutrients, per the National Snow and Ice Data Center.

While the findings are positive, this doesn't mean the ice sheet won't collapse at all if the planet continues to warm at an unnatural rate. "It's good news and it's bad news," Eric Wolff, one of the researchers, told New Scientist. "We didn't get the worst-case scenario. But I can't put my hand on my heart and say this wouldn't happen in the next century or two."

So, while the WAIS's stability is good, it's important to be proactive. If you want to play your part in slowing down the planet's rapid warming, there are some everyday steps you can take, like walking instead of driving when possible. This reduces the amount of planet-warming pollution entering the atmosphere.