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The sharp melting of glaciers in Greenland led to a rise in sea levels

We have repeatedly said that the Arcticwarming faster than the rest of the world. Over time, it may even turn into a rainy region, which will not have snow and glaciers. Moreover, the process of climate change has already begun. For example, last year it rained for the first time in history in Greenland. But, most importantly, the glaciers began to melt catastrophically quickly on the island. According to the latest satellite data, it has lost 5,100 billion tons of ice over the past 20 years. To make it easier for you to imagine how much water this is, I will explain that it would be enough to flood an area equal to the United States by half a meter. Of course, such a global process could not pass without a trace for the entire planet. It led to an increase in the level of water in the world's oceans by 1.2 centimeters. At first glance, this is a small indicator, but its consequences are more than serious. In addition, scientists are frightened by the rate of rising water levels.

Таяние ледников в Гренландии привело к повышению уровня воды в мировом океане

Why are the glaciers melting fast in Greenland?

Data on changes in Greenland collected by the groupscientists from four Danish research institutes. You can find them on the Polar Portal website. Information obtained from satellites launched under the GRACE program. The study covers the time period from spring 2002 to summer 2021. That is, the observation was conducted, almost, the last 20 years.

The mission of the GRACE satellites is to monitorgravity levels on the entire planet. Through their observations, scientists can understand how mass is distributed around the globe over time. In addition, these observations make it possible to track the rate of glacier melt, as well as to determine the volume of ice that has melted.

The areas of Greenland that have lost the most ice are highlighted in red.

On a map published on the Polar Portal website,you can clearly see parts of the island that have lost ice more than others. They are marked in dark red. According to these data, the fastest ice melts along the coast of western Greenland. Here it quickly becomes thinner and slides into the ocean.

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Presumably the rapid melting of glaciers alongcoast is associated with warm underwater waters. We recently reported that geothermal vents are also causing the rapid melting of a large glacier in Antarctica. I must say that as a result of global warming, this process would have occurred without warm waters, but the rate of ice loss would have been much less.

Presumably glaciers are melting rapidly in Greenland as a result of exposure to warm groundwater

What is the danger of an increase in the level of water in the ocean even by a centimeter

According to NASA, it is the melted glaciers inGreenland is currently the main cause of rising water in the world's oceans. And this process will only continue. According to a study that was published a few years ago in the journal Nature, as a result of the melting of the Greenland glaciers, the water level will rise by 7-13 centimeters by 2100. According to experts, this will lead to devastating consequences.

“On average, the rise in global sea level byevery centimeter results in 6 million more people suffering from coastal flooding across the planet,” says Andrew Shepherd, a NASA climatologist at the University of Leeds.

With such a trend of melting glaciers in Greenlandby the end of this century, 100 million more people will suffer from floods every year. But, it should be borne in mind that the glaciers of Antarctica will also contribute to the rise of the world ocean. The rate of their melting is also constantly increasing.

Greenland is currently the onlyplace on the planet, except for Antarctica, where there is a permanent ice sheet. In total, Antarctica and Greenland hold 99% of all fresh water on the planet. If all the ice in Greenland melts, the water level in the world's oceans will rise by almost 7.5 meters. And if all the glaciers melt in Antarctica, the water level will rise by 60 meters.

This means that severe coastal floodingmay start much earlier. Finally, I note that it is quite difficult to predict the rate of melting of glaciers in Antarctica, since they regularly break away from the mainland and go on a free float, which speeds up the process. Moreover, the sliding of a large glacier, such as Thwaites, can provoke a chain reaction that can cause a sharp rise in the water level in the ocean.