Study: Melting ice in Greenland increases global flooding – Science

With an area of ​​almost 1.8 million square kilometers, the Greenland ice sheet is the second largest in the world after Antarctica. Scientists are worried because the Arctic is warming three times faster than elsewhere in the world.

The ice cap contains enough water to raise the oceans six to seven meters.

According to a study published in the scientific journal Nature Communication meltwater has increased 21 percent in 40 years.

This is the first study based on satellite images from the European Space Agency (ESA). Since 2011, 3,500 billion tonnes of meltwater have been added, two-thirds of which was in the summers of 2012 and 2019 alone, according to the study.

There are many differences in the speed at which ice melts. It goes much faster during heat waves. “Like other parts of the world, Greenland is vulnerable to increasing extreme weather events,” said Thomas Slater, lead author of the study and researcher at the University of Leeds. Using satellite images, researchers can estimate how quickly and how much ice will melt and what effect it would have on sea level rise. This method “will help to better understand the complex processes of melting ice,” the researchers said. “According to research models, the Greenland ice sheet will contribute to a sea level rise of 3 to 23 centimeters by 2100,” concludes Amber Leeson of Lancaster University and co-author of the study.

With an area of ​​almost 1.8 million square kilometers, the Greenland ice sheet is the second largest in the world after Antarctica. Scientists are worried because the Arctic is warming three times faster than elsewhere in the world. The ice cap contains enough water to raise the oceans six to seven meters. According to a study published in the scientific journal Nature Communications, meltwater has increased by 21% in 40 years. This is the first study based on satellite images from the European Space Agency (ESA). Since 2011, 3,500 billion tonnes of meltwater have been added, two-thirds of which was in the summers of 2012 and 2019 alone, according to the study. There are many differences in the speed at which ice melts. It goes much faster during heat waves. “Like other parts of the world, Greenland is vulnerable to increasing extreme weather events,” said Thomas Slater, lead author of the study and researcher at the University of Leeds. Using satellite images, researchers can estimate how quickly and how much ice will melt and what effect it would have on sea level rise. This method “will help to better understand the complex processes of melting ice,” the researchers said. “According to research models, the Greenland ice sheet will contribute to a sea level rise of 3 to 23 centimeters by 2100,” concludes Amber Leeson of Lancaster University and co-author of the study.