An article in the Science Advances journal this week warned that the world's sea level could rise by as much as 50 to 60 meters if all the fossils fuels on the earth is used up. Such scenario would mean that all of the ice in Antarctica melt.

Such a rise in water levels could cause the displacement of at least a billion people as their homes would be submerged. This was the grim prediction of Ken Caldeira, a Stanford University scientist and one of the leaders of the study. He said that this outcome is likely if the human population does not reduce its carbon dioxide emissions.

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Fortunately, even if doom is to prevail, experts believe that it will take at least 10,000 years for the sea to rise to such levels. But within a hundred years, European countries and the U.S. can expect to lose substantial amount of real estate to the sea.

Caldeira warned that more than 30 meters rise in sea level will lead to the evacuation of Rome, Paris and London in Europe, while in the United States, most of Washington and New York would be under water, according to Live Science.

The article said that to prevent further melting of ice in Antarctica, the earth's temperature would have to be returned to a time before the industrial age began. Many experts have already said that such a task is impossible to achieve today.

The study admits that so far, that the melting snow in Antarctica accounts for only small percentage of the rise in the world's oceans. As long as the carbon dioxide levels are kept at a minimum, the melted ice can be replaced by the expected snowfall.

NASA scientists have also joined in the crusade to warn about, and combat global warming. Jet Propulsion researcher Eric Rignot was part of a 2014 study which theorized that the melting in the Western part of Antarctica can no longer be stopped. Rignot said that current sea level rise is around 0.33 meter every hundred years, but there is a possibility that such rise could increase dramatically.

Tagssea level rise, global warming, Carbon emission, CO2 emissions, submereged cities, burning fossil fuels, antarctica ice melt, science advances, nasa scientists, earth temperature