Greenland , the world’s largest island and home to the second largest ice sheet after Antarctica, is facing a serious threat from climate change. According to recent studies, Greenland’s glaciers are melting at an alarming rate, much faster than previously estimated, and contributing significantly to global sea level rise.
What is happening to Greenland’s glaciers?
Glaciers are masses of ice that flow slowly over land, driven by gravity and their own weight. They are formed by the accumulation and compaction of snow over thousands of years. Glaciers store about 69% of the world’s freshwater and act as natural refrigerators that regulate the Earth’s climate1
Greenland has about 200 glaciers that drain ice from the ice sheet into the ocean. These glaciers terminate either on land, where they lose ice by surface melting and runoff, or at the sea, where they lose ice by calving (breaking off icebergs) and submarine melting (melting by warm ocean water)2
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Greenland’s glaciers are sensitive to changes in atmospheric and oceanic conditions, which are influenced by human-induced greenhouse gas emissions. As the planet warms, both the air and the ocean heat up, causing more ice to melt from the glaciers2
How fast are Greenland’s glaciers melting?
Several studies have used satellite observations, field measurements, and numerical models to quantify the ice loss from Greenland’s glaciers and its impact on sea level rise. The results are alarming and show that Greenland’s glaciers are melting much faster than expected.
One study, published in 2022, found that Greenland’s glaciers are melting 100 times faster than estimated by previous models that were based on Antarctic data. The study used robotic boats to measure the submarine melt rates of glaciers in Greenland and Alaska, and found that they were much higher than predicted by the Antarctic models. The study also developed a new model that accounts for the unique interaction between ice and water at Greenland’s fjords, where warm water undercuts the ice and causes it to collapse3
Another study, published in 2023, found that Greenland’s glaciers are melting five times faster than 20 years ago. The study used satellite data to measure the ice velocity and thickness of 200 glaciers from 1992 to 2018, and found that the glaciers have accelerated their flow and thinned rapidly, especially in the southwest and northwest regions. The study attributed the acceleration and thinning to increased surface melting and runoff, which lubricate the glacier bed and reduce the friction that holds back the ice1
A third study, also published in 2023, found that Greenland’s northern glaciers are in trouble, threatening ‘dramatic’ sea level rise. The study analyzed eight ice shelves that buttress the glaciers in northern Greenland, and found that they have lost more than 35% of their total volume since 1978. Three of them have collapsed completely, and the remaining five are melting and destabilizing the nearby glaciers. The study blamed the ice shelf loss on a combination of increased calving, surface melting, and ocean warming4
What are the consequences of Greenland’s glacier melt?
The melting of Greenland’s glaciers has serious implications for the global climate system and the human society. The most obvious consequence is the rise in sea level, which threatens the lives and livelihoods of millions of people living in coastal areas around the world. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), global sea level rose by about 15 cm (6 inches) in the 20th century, and is projected to rise by another 26 to 82 cm (10 to 32 inches) by the end of the 21st century, depending on the emission scenario5
Greenland’s glaciers alone have contributed about 0.7 mm per year to global sea level rise since 1992, and about 1.1 mm per year since 20121 If all of Greenland’s ice were to melt, it would raise global sea level by about 7 meters (23 feet)2 Sea level rise can cause coastal erosion, flooding, saltwater intrusion, damage to infrastructure and ecosystems, displacement of populations, and increased vulnerability to storm surges and extreme events5
Another consequence of Greenland’s glacier melt is the change in ocean circulation, which affects the regional and global climate. The freshwater runoff from the glaciers dilutes the salinity and density of the seawater, which can alter the formation and strength of the ocean currents that transport heat and nutrients around the world. One of these currents is the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), which carries warm water from the tropics to the North Atlantic, and cold water from the North Atlantic to the South Atlantic. The AMOC plays a key role in moderating the climate of Europe and North America, as well as influencing the monsoon systems, the El Niño phenomenon, and the marine ecosystems6
Some studies have suggested that the AMOC has weakened in the past decades due to the increased freshwater input from Greenland and other sources, and that it could collapse under a certain threshold of warming6 A collapse of the AMOC could have drastic consequences for the climate, such as cooling of the northern hemisphere, drying of the tropics, and intensification of storms and droughts6
How can we prevent Greenland’s glacier melt?
The melting of Greenland’s glaciers is largely driven by human-induced climate change, which means that we have the power and the responsibility to stop it. The most effective way to prevent Greenland’s glacier melt is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit global warming to well below 2°C (3.6°F), as agreed by the Paris Agreement in 20155
This requires a rapid and profound transformation of the energy, transport, industry, agriculture, and land use sectors, as well as the adoption of low-carbon lifestyles and behaviors by individuals and communities5 It also requires enhanced cooperation and solidarity among nations, regions, and stakeholders, as well as increased support for adaptation and resilience measures for the most vulnerable and affected people5
Greenland’s glaciers are a precious and irreplaceable part of our planet, and their fate is intertwined with ours. We must act now to protect them and ourselves from the dangers of climate change.
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