Greenland is one of the fastest-melting iced-over regions on Earth. In fact, scientists say the large-scale melting of Greenland’s massive ice sheet is irreversible, and it’s happening now at an accelerating rate.
A new study led by researchers from the University of Barcelona in Spain has found that climate change has dramatically altered extreme episodes of melting across Greenland. Climate change has made the melting more frequent, more extensive, and more intense.
The study, which was recently published in the journal Nature Communications, found that, since 1990, the area affected by extreme melting has expanded by more than one million square miles every decade. At the same time, the amount of meltwater produced during these events has increased six-fold.
Researchers analyzed more than 70 years of climate and ice data and found that seven of Greenland’s ten most severe melting episodes have occurred since 2000. Record-breaking events in 2012, 2019, and 2021 were unlike anything previously observed.
The study shows that warmer atmospheric conditions are now supercharging melting events. Even when weather patterns are similar to those in the past, today’s higher temperatures are producing far more meltwater.
Northern Greenland has emerged as a major hotspot. And under high greenhouse gas emission scenarios, researchers project that extreme meltwater production could triple by the end of this century.
According to NASA, the Greenland ice sheet holds enough frozen water to raise global sea levels by 24 feet. Scientists say understanding what is driving these extreme melting events is crucial for anticipating future risks and guiding scientific evidence-based policy decisions.
