Oceans are the planet's main heat sink, and this explainer breaks down what happens as they warm. It covers the Greenland ice sheet losing roughly 260 to 270 gigatons per year since 2002, the 27 cm of sea-level rise already locked in by current CO2 levels, and the growing risk from Antarctic glaciers like Thwaites and Pine Island. The article names the places most exposed, from Mumbai, Chennai and the Sundarbans to Bangladesh, Vietnam, the US East Coast and Pacific island states. It also explains why ice loss is speeding up, including warm ocean water reaching glacier bases and atmospheric rivers driving surface melt. Useful for anyone tracking climate risk, coastal adaptation, or the long-term costs of delayed emissions cuts.
