The melting of glaciers on one side of the globe can trigger disintegration of glaciers on the other side of the globe, as has been presented in a recent paper by a team of AWI scientists, who investigated marine microalgae preserved in glacial deposits and subsequently used their findings to perform climate simulations. The study highlights a process with alarming consequences for modern ice sheets—continuous warming of the ocean can result in a massive loss of polar ice mass, and consequently to rapid sea level rise.