What will happen if the arctic melts vs if the antarctic melts?

Answer 1

The Antarctic ice could not conceivably melt entirely within the next few thousand years, because it is so large. In fact, only the small Antarctic Peninsula, to the south of South America, seems to have been noticeably affected by recent global warming.

The arctic sea ice is melting, but melting sea ice does not really affect sea levels. The worst that could happen here is the extinction of the polar bear, and perhaps changing weather conditions in some parts of the northern hemisphere. Since sea ice is reflective, it has a cooling effect, so the loss of sea ice can also contribute to global warming.

As the ice shelves and glaciers of the arctic region melt, sea levels will rise, as they have already begun to do.

Answer 2

The Arctic ice floats already, so if it melts, sea levels will have a tiny rise (because fresh water is less dense than salt water, and so takes up more space).

If the Antarctic ice melts, sea levels around the world will rise by 150 feet, or 60 metres. This is because Antarctic ice is sitting on land.