One of the scariest predictions about climate change might already be coming true

One of the most alarming climate change scenarios could actually be coming true, a new study has suggested.

Outspoken NASA climate scientist James Hansen raised the alarm about the possibility of fresh water causing chaos in the world’s oceans in a computer-simulated study two years ago.

Hansen’s study suggested that fresh water from melting glaciers could have wide-ranging effects on the circulation of the oceans – leading to sea level rises and even possibly superstorms, the Washington Post reported.

Alessandro Silvano of the University of Tasmania in Hobart, Australia says that fresh water is already having an alarming effect, a ‘feedback loop’ which could mean glaciers melt even more quickly.

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Silvano said, ‘This process is similar to what happens when you put oil and water in a container, with the oil floating on top because it’s lighter and less dense.

‘The same happens near Antarctica with fresh glacial meltwater, which stays above the warmer and saltier ocean water, insulating the warm water from the cold Antarctic atmosphere and allowing it to cause further glacial melting.

‘We found that in this way increased glacial meltwater can cause a positive feedback, driving further melt of ice shelves and hence an increase in sea level rise.’