Greenland's Ice May Be Lost By 2100

    • PTI
    • Publish Date: Apr 5 2017 12:29PM
    • |
    • Updated Date: Apr 5 2017 12:29PM
Greenland's Ice May Be Lost By 2100

WASHINGTON: The glaciers and ice caps that dot the edges of the Greenland coast are not likely to recover from the melting they are experiencing now, and some of it will be permanently lost by 2100, a study has found.

Researchers found that melting on the island passed a tipping point 20 years ago. The smallest glaciers and ice caps on the coast are no longer able to regrow lost ice.
The new study suggests that the melting of Greenland's coastal ice will raise global sea level by about 1.5 inches by 2100.
The findings reveal why the parts of Greenland ice are melting so quickly - the deep snow layer that normally captures coastal meltwater was filled to capacity in 1997.
That layer of snow and meltwater has since frozen solid, so that all new meltwater flows over it and out to sea.
It is bad news, but not immediate cause for panic, said Ohio State University glaciologist Ian Howat.
The findings apply to the comparatively small amount of ice along the coast only, he explained - not the Greenland Ice Sheet, which is the second largest ice cache in the world.
"These peripheral glaciers and ice caps can be thought of as colonies of ice that are in rapid decline, many of which will likely disappear in the near future," said Howat, associate professor at Ohio State.
Were all of Greenland's coastal ice to melt away at once, global sea level would rise a few inches. For comparison, were the whole Greenland Ice Sheet to melt away at once, global sea level would rise 24 feet.
The problem lies between fresh surface snow and the ice, in a layer of older snow called the firn. Normally, meltwater drains through gaps in the firn down to the ice surface, where the bottom layer re-freezes.
When the firn around Greenland's edges became fully saturated 20 years ago, it froze through from bottom to top.
Since then, there have not been any gaps to capture meltwater, and the ice has not been able to grow.
At the time, researchers could not have known, because they lacked three things: a high-resolution topographic model of the glaciers, a detailed map of glacier boundaries, and a high resolution numerical model of drainage processes.
Howat provided the first two with his Greenland Ice Mapping Project Digital Elevation Model, which offers 30-metre resolution over the entire Greenland surface.
Then his colleagues were able to use that data to boost the resolution of their numerical model and get a better idea of where and how the ice caps and glaciers were losing mass.
They found that, for the last 20 years, mass loss has been exactly equal to the amount of meltwater runoff lost to sea. Simulations showed that a frozen firn was the most likely cause.
The Greenland Ice Sheet is subject to the same danger, Howat said, but to a much lesser degree than the isolated bits of ice on its edges.
The real value of the study is that provides "more evidence of rapid change and how it happens," he added.
The study was published in the journal Nature Communications.

More From SCI-TECH...

Comments

Himanshi Dhawan Saffron Public School

This is excruciatingly depressing.

dev Children''s Academy, Ashok Nagar, Kandivli East

This is very sad

Anika Singh Bhati DELHI PUBLIC SCHOOL GURGAON SEC45 D

this is very tragic. I hope we find a solution

Ronit.R National Hill View Public School

We need to find a solution to the menace of global warming pretty soon

POST YOUR OWN ARTICLE, PHOTO & VIDEO

SIMPLY FILL DETAILS & POST


 
SIGN UP & EXPLORE MORE...
*


*
* *
* *
img
REGISTRATION SUCCESSFUL...
THANK YOU FOR REGISTERING
  • About Us

Times Newspaper in Education (Times NIE) is a novel program that helps students ‘Stay Ahead’ and aims at making ‘Learning Fun’. It introduces concepts that help individual growth and development beyond school curriculum.

A brainchild of The Times of India, the world’s leading English newspapers, Times NIE nurtures progress and innovation. Adapted from the international concept, Times Newspaper in Education program (Times NIE) was initiated in India in 1985.

Today we have over 3000 schools and over 9 lac students subscribing to the programme, spanning 16 cities viz. Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Lucknow, Coimbatore, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, and Jaipur.

The Times of India Student edition, a customized student newspaper exclusively for the students, packs a powerful punch in terms of content that leads to a smarter and superior learning experience. The information is crafted such that it finds use in classroom discussions, thus making it relevant and current. It truly gives education a new dimension by fostering the simple habit of reading which in turn paves the way for a confident, informed and aware individual. A newspaper that inspires young minds and equips them to face challenges of today’s world, making way for global citizens.

Empowering students with new cutting-edge knowledge through various educative and informative activities is a commitment and tradition of Times NIE. The programme serves as a catalyst of education and interaction, as well as a window into the minds of the quintessential Indian youth. On a significant scale Times NIE comprises diverse interesting activities and events that boost the child’s passion for learning, while revealing hidden talent.

While you are aware that The Times of India is among the leading English Newspapers across the world, it has consummated its position as an everlasting winner. With several international awards and recognitions to its credit, The Times of India and Times NIE have validated an enduring tradition of setting the highest benchmarks in every respect. We have been awarded with the two most prestigious awards, Times NIE - World’s No.1 NIE program and The Times of India, Student Edition - World’s No.1 Newspaper for the youth in 2006 by the celebrated World Association of Newspapers (WAN). In 2008 we were honoured by the International Newspaper Marketing Association (INMA), yet another international recognition for ‘Youth Audience Development’. In 2013 we were again honoured by the celebrated World Association of Newspapers (WAN) as the ‘Times NIE - World’s Best Youth Engagement Program’.

Times NIE has grown remarkably over the last three and a half decades, touching millions of children across more than 16 Indian cities. Our absolute commitment towards the fledgling generation remains undiluted and our greatest strength lies in the school partnership and commitment.

  • Times NIE World Awards
EDIT STUDENT PROFILE...



img

JOIN NOW !!!

Create or join groups, share your views, ideas through posts (Text, Pictures & Videos)

GOT A QUERY?

FEEL FREE TO ASK HERE. GET IT ANSWERED BY EXPERTS

CLICK HERE TO SEE YOUR PREVIOUS QUERIES

win

Why You Think India Is Great....