Beneath the frozen landscapes of Greenland, Antarctica, and the world’s glaciers lies enough ice to completely reshape the planet’s coastlines.

If all of Earth’s land ice melted, sea levels would rise by more than 60 meters (around 200 feet), dramatically transforming continents, drowning major cities, and permanently changing the geography of the modern world.

Entire coastal regions would disappear beneath the ocean. Some of the world’s largest cities would become partially or completely submerged, while new inland seas would form across parts of several continents.

Although such a scenario would take many centuries — and likely thousands of years — scientists study it to better understand the long-term consequences of climate change and rising global temperatures.

How Much Would Sea Levels Rise?

Scientists estimate that if all glaciers and ice sheets melted completely, global sea levels could rise by more than 195 feet (60 meters).

The largest contributors would be:

• Antarctica,
• Greenland,
• and mountain glaciers around the world.

Greenland alone contains enough ice to raise sea levels by more than 7 meters (23 feet), while Antarctica holds vastly larger amounts of frozen water.

Importantly, floating sea ice — such as much of the Arctic sea ice — contributes far less to sea-level rise because it is already floating in the ocean. The greatest danger comes from ice resting on land.

Entire Coastlines Would Change

A world without land ice would look dramatically different from the maps we know today.

Many coastal cities across the globe would face severe flooding or disappear entirely beneath rising oceans.

In North America:

• much of Florida would vanish,
• coastal areas of New York and California would be heavily affected,
• and large sections of the Gulf Coast would be underwater.

In Europe, cities such as:

• Venice,
• Amsterdam,
• Copenhagen,
• and parts of London

would face catastrophic flooding.

Across Asia, some of the world’s most densely populated coastal regions — including parts of China, Bangladesh, and Japan — would experience enormous displacement of people.

The Planet’s Climate Would Also Change

The consequences would go far beyond rising oceans.

Ice plays a crucial role in regulating Earth’s climate because bright ice surfaces reflect sunlight back into space. As ice disappears, darker ocean and land surfaces absorb more heat, accelerating warming further.

Scientists also warn that large-scale ice loss could disrupt major ocean circulation systems, including the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), which helps regulate climate across the Atlantic region.

This could alter:

• rainfall patterns,
• storm tracks,
• ocean ecosystems,
• and regional temperatures around the world.

Could It Really Happen?

A complete melting of all Earth’s land ice would not happen anytime soon.

Even under extreme warming scenarios, scientists believe such a transformation would take many centuries or millennia. However, the long-term direction of climate change remains a major concern.

Research shows that Greenland and Antarctica are already losing ice at accelerating rates, contributing to ongoing sea-level rise. NASA observations confirm that glaciers and ice sheets continue shrinking as global temperatures increase.

Some recent studies suggest that parts of Earth’s major ice sheets may be more vulnerable to warming than previously believed.

A Different Planet

A fully ice-free Earth would not simply mean higher oceans.

It would create a fundamentally different planet:

• different coastlines,
• different ecosystems,
• different weather patterns,
• and the displacement of hundreds of millions of people living near sea level.

The maps of today’s world would become almost unrecognizable.

While this remains a distant long-term scenario, scientists emphasize that studying Earth’s ice systems is essential for understanding the future of sea-level rise and the growing risks facing coastal communities in a warming world.

Watch the video below to see what Earth might look like if all the ice melted — and imagine the world we must work to protect.