The more scientists study Greenland, the worse its ice melt looks
The Greenland ice sheet has lost about 1,965 square miles to glacial retreat since 1985, a new study says.
The Greenland ice sheet has lost about 1,965 square miles to glacial retreat since 1985, a new study says.
That’s an area roughly the size of Delaware.
The study analyzed satellite images to track retreat and found that the breakup of icebergs has accelerated in Greenland and that previous analyses might have underrated its influence.
“Current consensus estimates of ice-sheet mass balance have underestimated recent mass loss from Greenland by as much as 20%,” the study’s authors wrote. In recent decades, almost every Greenland glacier has thinned or retreated.
The study, which was published Wednesday in the journal Nature, is yet another sign that Greenland’s ice is melting at hastening and concerning rates. Scientists are growing increasingly concerned that the Earth’s warming could trigger tipping points for major ice sheets. Greenland contains about 8% of the world’s freshwater. Its total melt would raise sea levels by almost 7 feet and could change ocean circulation patterns.
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