Collapsing ice sheets at the poles are powerful symbols of a warming world, but new research suggests they may also be ramping up the global impact of climate change.

As the icy cliffs of Greenland and Antarctica thaw, scientists think the influx of water will trigger extreme weather and disrupt ocean currents across the globe.

Conventional wisdom holds that the most worrying consequence of melting polar ice will be the contribution of these enormous water stores to worldwide sea levels.

But two new research papers published in the journal Nature challenge this notion, revealing once again the complexity of environmental factors scientists must take into consideration when predicting climate change.

Global temperatures are currently on track to rise about 3C above pre-industrial levels by the end of the century.

Glacier collapse shows climate impact Show all 20 1 /20 Glacier collapse shows climate impact Glacier collapse shows climate impact An iceberg floats in a fjord near the town of Tasiilaq Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Meltwater pools on top of the Helheim glacier near Tasiilaq Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Safety officer Brian Rougeux works with student Febin Magar to assemble a radar dome while working in a science camp on the side of the Helheim glacier Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Airplane Mechanic, David Fuller, left, works with a local worker to move a Nasa Gulfstream III during a pre-flight inspection before a flight to support the Oceans Melting Greenland research mission Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Meltwater pools on top of the Helheim glacier Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Earth Science Flight Programs Director at Nasa, Eric Ianson, looks out at the Greenland ice sheet Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Glacial ice is seen from the window during the Nasa flight Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Oceanographer David Holland's science camp on the side of the Helheim glacier Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact An iceberg floats in a fjord near the town of Tasiilaq Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact A large crevasse forms near the calving front of the Helheim glacier Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Safety officer Brian Rougeux uses a drill to install antennas for scientific instruments that will be left on top of the Helheim glacier Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Tabular icebergs float in the Sermilik Fjord after a large calving event at the Helheim glacier Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Radar Engineer, Ron Muellerschoen, monitors data collection inside a NASA Gulfstream III flying above Greenland to measure loss to the country's ice sheet Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact GPS tracking equipment is left on top of the Helheim glacier REUTERS Glacier collapse shows climate impact Sunshine lights up the Helheim glacier Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact A glacial terminus above the east coast of Greenland REUTERS Glacier collapse shows climate impact Student Febin Magar watches as leftover wood burns in a research camp Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Tabular icebergs float in the Sermilik Fjord after a large calving event Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact Oceanographer David Holland repairs a broken GPS module at his research camp Reuters Glacier collapse shows climate impact An iceberg floats in a fjord near the town of Tasiilaq Reuters

This is expected to accelerate the melting of ice sheets and raise global sea levels, threatening coastal communities around the world and posing an existential threat to low-lying islands.

But warmer meltwater entering the oceans will have more complex effects than simply changing sea levels – weakening ocean currents such as the Gulf Stream and changing air temperatures on both sides of the Atlantic.

Scientists have already warned of a slower Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (Amoc); the currents transporting warm water from the tropics via the Gulf Stream to the Arctic.

In their new analysis, an international research team predicted “climate chaos” as more meltwater gushes into the oceans, producing a marked impact on weather within decades.

“Melt from these ice sheets is going to significantly disrupt the global climate making temperatures in some areas vary much more from one year to the next,” said Professor Nick Golledge from Victoria University of Wellington.

“This unpredictability is going to prove extremely disruptive for all of us, and will make adaptation and planning much more difficult.”

In the second part of their analysis the scientists examined past sea level rise data to establish whether it supported the controversial idea that ice cliff collapses could add more than a metre to rising seas by 2100.

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They found that while the overall rise in sea levels is likely to be more modest, its impact would still be destructive.

“Water levels would not simply rise like a bathtub,” said Professor Natalya Gomez from McGill University.

“Some areas in the world, such as the island nations in the Pacific, would experience a large rise in sea level, while close to the ice sheets the sea level would actually fall.”