Scientists in Denmark report the results of a new study that finds that Greenland’s glaciers are melting five times faster than they were 20 years ago.
Citing foreign news agencies, scientists from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark revealed yesterday (November 10), that Greenland’s glaciers were found to be melting 5 times faster than in the past 20 years.
With the melting of Greenland’s glaciers due to global warming, it is of particular concern because it is an ancient ice sheet that stores huge amounts of water. If Greenland’s glaciers melted completely it would cause sea levels to rise by at least 6 metres.
Anders Anker Bjork, Assistant Professor, Department of Earth Sciences and Natural Resource Management The University of Copenhagen says it is studying thousands of glaciers in Greenland. It appears that the rate of melting is faster than it was 20 years ago, noting that the rate of melting glaciers has entered a new phase in the past two decades. Melting has a clear relationship with changes in global temperatures.
A study of the evolution of Greenland’s glaciers over 130 years using satellite images and 200,000 old photographs found that over the past 20 years, the thickness of the glacier has decreased at a rate of 25 meters per year, compared with the previous two decades. Glaciers are retreating at a rate of 5-6 meters per year.
Greenland’s glaciers are often used as indicators of the effects of climate change. As a result of global warming between 2006 and 2013, the Greenland ice sheet was responsible for 17.3% of sea level rise and glaciers were responsible for 21% of sea level rise.
Previously, the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), the European Union’s climate change agency, revealed new information indicating that it is “absolutely certain” that 2023 will be the warmest year on record for the planet in 125,000 years.
“Subtly charming student. Pop culture junkie. Creator. Amateur music specialist. Beer fanatic.”