365Telugu.com Online News, June 2nd, 2023: Ice rivers are melting fast in Greenland. Researchers focused on long-term changes in Greenland’s glaciers and ice cap due to climate change. These changes have contributed significantly to sea level rise over the past decade.
Using historical data, scientists mapped the 5,327 glaciers and ice caps that existed at the end of the Little Ice Age in 1900. It was a time of widespread cooling when the average global temperature fell below 2°C. After this, by 2001, these glaciers and ice caps were divided into 5,467 pieces.
The study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, found that Greenland’s glaciers lost at least 587 cubic kilometers of ice over the past century, contributing to a 1.38 mm rise in sea level.
This equates to 499 gigatons (Gt) at an accidental rate of 4.34 Gt per year, enough to fill 43,400 US aircraft carriers. Between 2000 and 2019, the rate of ice melt is expected to triple the long-term (since 1900) average, the researchers said.
“We only looked at glacier ice caps that were at least 1km across, so the amount of ice that melted was very small,” said Dr Claire Boston from the School of Environment, Geography and Geology. University of Portsmouth. If you consider the small peaks, the size is higher than our estimate.
This study emphasizes the importance of understanding these changes in the context of global sea level rise. Greenland’s glaciers and ice sheets contribute significantly to meltwater runoff. They are currently the second largest source of meltwater after Alaska.
Author Dr Jonathan L, Head of the School of Geography at the University of Leeds. The effect of melting water from Greenland into the North Atlantic will be exacerbated by global sea level rise. This could affect the North Atlantic Ocean circulation, European weather patterns, Greenland water quality, and marine ecosystems, said Carivik, the researchers. It also has a great impact on humans. These glacial changes have a direct impact on fishing, mining, and hydropower economic activities, as well as public health.