Global warming has accelerated the melting of Greenland’s glaciers by a factor of five in the past 20 years, scientists at the University of Copenhagen said Friday.
The melting of Greenland’s glaciers is particularly worrisome because if the ancient ice cap were to melt completely, it would contain enough water to raise sea levels by at least 20 feet (6 meters).
Anders Anker Björk, an assistant professor at the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Earth Sciences and Natural Resource Management, told Reuters that a study of 1,000 glaciers in the region showed that the rate of melting has entered a new phase over the past two decades.
Björk said, “There is a very clear correlation between the temperatures we experience on Earth and the changes we observe in the rate of glacier melting.”
Scientists studied the development of glaciers over more than 130 years through satellite imagery and 200,000 old photographs, and concluded that glaciers are losing an average of 25 meters per year, compared to about 5-6 meters 20 years ago.
Global temperatures are already nearly 1.2 degrees Celsius (2.2 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels, and 2023 will “almost certainly” be the warmest year in 125,000 years, European Union scientists said earlier this month.
Jørgen Evander Olesen, director of the Climate Institute at Aarhus University, said lowering temperatures would require a concerted global effort to minimize greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
I believe we can prepare for the continued accelerated melting of these glaciers,” Olesen said.
Greenland’s glaciers are often used to predict the impact of climate change on the Greenland ice sheet.
William Colgan, a senior researcher at the Institute of Geology, said, “If we start to see glaciers losing mass at a rate several times faster than in the past century, then we can expect the ice sheet to move along the same path, just at a slower rate and on a longer time scale.” The Danish and Greenland Survey (GEUS) said.
Between 2006 and 2018, the Greenland ice sheet accounted for 17.3% of the observed sea level rise, and glaciers accounted for 21%. There are about 22,000 glaciers in Greenland.
Impact on sea level
The melting of Greenland’s glaciers is the main cause of sea level rise. When glaciers melt, they release water into the ocean, causing sea levels to rise.
Sea level rise poses a serious threat to coastal communities around the world. It can lead to flooding, erosion and saltwater intrusion into freshwater supplies.
What can be done?
The only way to stop Greenland glaciers from melting is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This can be done by switching to renewable energy sources such as solar and wind and by improving energy efficiency.
Individuals can also help reduce their carbon footprint by making lifestyle changes such as driving less and recycling.
