Final answer:
Melting polar ice caps would primarily result in higher sea levels, coastal flooding, disruptions in marine ecosystems, and fresh water shortages due to diminished glaciers and ice caps.
Step-by-step explanation:
The most likely result of the polar ice caps melting is a significant rise in sea levels that would lead to the flooding of coastal areas, including some island nations. This would have a dramatic impact on global warming outcomes such as increased ocean temperatures and disruptions to marine ecosystems. Glaciers and ice caps functioning as freshwater reservoirs would diminish, resulting in potential shortages of fresh water and the advancement of salt water inland, impacting agricultural and urban areas.
This would have significant consequences for modern civilization, including the inundation of coastal areas, the loss of islands, and potential shortages of freshwater.