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Ice sheets in Greenland are melting faster than ever before, according to new research.
The study, led by Marco Tedesco, director of the Cryospheric Processes laboratory at the City College of New York, showed that the melting index had broken the previous record, set in 2007.
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(Photo: CCNY / Marco Tedesco)
The figure shows the standardized melting index anomaly for the period 1979 - 2010. The center line is the mean fro 1979-2009. Related Articles
"Melting in 2010 started exceptionally early at the end of April and ended quite late in mid- September," Tedesco said in a statement. "This past melt season was exceptional, with melting in some areas stretching up to 50 days longer than average."
A melting Greenland ice sheet contributes to sea level rise, which has occurred at a mean rate of about 1.8 millimeters per year over the past century. If the Greenland ice sheet were to melt completely it would raise sea levels by 7 meters. But that is unlikely to happen for several centuries at least.
One reason for the record-breaking melt was that summer temperatures in the Arctic were 2-3 degrees C (5.4 degrees F) warmer than normal. Greenland's capital, Nuuk, experienced temperatures higher than any since 1873, when weather records started being been kept there. NASA data showed that 2010 was tied with 2005 as, globally, the warmest year on record.
Combined with reduced snowfall, the bare ice was more exposed to the sun, causing more of it to melt and faster. Other factors that influence ice melt are soot left on the surface, which absorbs heat, and the lakes that form on the surface, which also warm the ice because they are darker.
The data was gathered from satellites operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. By measuring the amount of microwave radiation emitted by the ice, snow and water of the ice sheets in Greenland, and comparing that with data gathered on the ground, the researchers were able to measure how much of the ice sheet is subject to melting.
Read more: Greenland Ice Sheets Melt At Record Rate In 2010 - International Business Times
The study, led by Marco Tedesco, director of the Cryospheric Processes laboratory at the City College of New York, showed that the melting index had broken the previous record, set in 2007.
Enlarge Close
(Photo: CCNY / Marco Tedesco)
The figure shows the standardized melting index anomaly for the period 1979 - 2010. The center line is the mean fro 1979-2009. Related Articles
"Melting in 2010 started exceptionally early at the end of April and ended quite late in mid- September," Tedesco said in a statement. "This past melt season was exceptional, with melting in some areas stretching up to 50 days longer than average."
A melting Greenland ice sheet contributes to sea level rise, which has occurred at a mean rate of about 1.8 millimeters per year over the past century. If the Greenland ice sheet were to melt completely it would raise sea levels by 7 meters. But that is unlikely to happen for several centuries at least.
One reason for the record-breaking melt was that summer temperatures in the Arctic were 2-3 degrees C (5.4 degrees F) warmer than normal. Greenland's capital, Nuuk, experienced temperatures higher than any since 1873, when weather records started being been kept there. NASA data showed that 2010 was tied with 2005 as, globally, the warmest year on record.
Combined with reduced snowfall, the bare ice was more exposed to the sun, causing more of it to melt and faster. Other factors that influence ice melt are soot left on the surface, which absorbs heat, and the lakes that form on the surface, which also warm the ice because they are darker.
The data was gathered from satellites operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. By measuring the amount of microwave radiation emitted by the ice, snow and water of the ice sheets in Greenland, and comparing that with data gathered on the ground, the researchers were able to measure how much of the ice sheet is subject to melting.
Read more: Greenland Ice Sheets Melt At Record Rate In 2010 - International Business Times