Earth perspectives, 7/9: The Earth view above the Greenland Ice Sheet

7/9: The Earth view above the Greenland Ice Sheet



At the centre of the Earth view above is the Greenland ice sheet, a continent-wide ice sheet produced by falling snow over millions of years, now melting at staggering rates due to human-induced climate change. This glacial ice flows slowly towards the ocean, where it either melts or breaks apart to form icebergs. The amount of ice lost at the edges used to equal the accumulation of new snow every year, but the warmer climate has thrown the Greenland ice sheet out of balance. Currently, the amount lost each year is 200–300 billion tonnes, a rate that is expected to increase dramatically. Water from Greenland’s ice sheet raises sea level approximately 0.3 mm each year, and this amount is dramatically increasing. Were all the ice in Greenland to melt, sea level would rise 7 metres. Though sea level will continue to rise, the amount and speed can be reduced if we quickly and significantly reduce carbon emissions. Slower sea level rise would make adaptation easier, less costly, and less destructive.