Greenland is crumbling earlier than our eyes. This frozen large is melting at an alarming price, with vital implications for world sea ranges.
New analysis reveals a stark actuality: between 2010 and 2023, Greenland misplaced a staggering 563 cubic miles (2,347 cubic kilometers) of ice. That’s sufficient water to fill Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest lake.
The video visualization highlights the areas of best ice loss by way of the darkest crimson colour.
This analysis is a collaborative effort between NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA). The video was put collectively utilizing knowledge from two highly effective satellites — ESA’s CryoSat-2 and NASA’s ICESat-2 — that repeatedly monitor Greenland’s altering panorama.
CryoSat-2 makes use of radar, whereas ICESat-2 employs laser expertise to measure the peak of the ice sheet.
Melting glacier edges
The practically 40-second video showcases that the sides of the ice sheet are bearing the brunt of this melting disaster. Over the years, the sides of the ice sheet skilled a 21-foot (6.4-meter) loss in thickness on common.
In simply 13 years, the ice sheets outlet glaciers like Sermeq Kujalleq and Zachariae Isstrøm skilled peak thinning charges of 67m (219 toes) and 75m (246 toes) respectively.
The examine aimed to transcend merely measuring ice loss. Recognizing the strengths and weaknesses of each satellite tv for pc measurement methods (radar and laser), researchers sought to validate their compatibility by guaranteeing constant outcomes.
This validation step was essential for a extra correct and complete understanding of ice loss in Greenland.
The examine demonstrated excessive ranges of settlement between the 2 satellite tv for pc measurements. This sturdy concordance allowed for the mix of their knowledge, revealing a median ice sheet thinning of three.9 toes (1.2 meters) over the 13-year examine interval.
“It is nice to see that the info from ‘sister missions’ are offering a constant image of the adjustments occurring in Greenland,” mentioned Thorsten Markus, venture scientist for the ICESat-2 mission at NASA, within the press assertion.
“Understanding the similarities and variations between radar and lidar ice sheet top measurements permits us to completely exploit the complementary nature of these satellite tv for pc missions,” Markus added.
Global repercussions
As per the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Greenland Ice Sheet has been steadily dropping mass since 1998.
Currently, it’s considered the second-largest contributor to sea-level rise.
The examine discovered that the ice sheet skilled its most important losses in 2012 and 2019, shrinking by over 400 cubic kilometers attributable to excessive melting occasions.
The melting of Greenland’s ice sheet has far-reaching penalties, impacting world ocean circulation and climate patterns. These adjustments ripple by way of ecosystems and coastal communities worldwide.
Understanding the magnitude of this disaster is essential. This will assist put together for and adapt to the impacts of local weather change. Therefore, entry to correct, up-to-date ice sheet change knowledge is very essential.
“As ice sheet mass loss is a key contributor to world sea stage rise, that is extremely helpful for the scientific group and policymakers,” mentioned Nitin Ravinder, the lead creator from the UK Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling (CPOM), within the press launch.
The findings had been revealed within the journal Geophysical Research Letters.
