Concerns as glaciers melt in Greenland

Glaciers and ice caps in Greenland are being lost at three times the rate at which they have melted since the start of the 20th Century, according to a study.

Scientists from the universities of Portsmouth and Leeds have mapped 5,327 glaciers and ice caps that existed at the end of the Little Ice Age in 1900 – a period of widespread cooling where global temperatures dropped by up to 2C.

The study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, says Greenland’s glaciers have lost at least 587 km3 of ice during the last century, accounting for 1.38 millimetres of sea-level rise.

The researchers estimate that the speed at which the water melted between 2000 and 2019 was three times higher than the longterm average since 1900.

Co-author Dr Clare Boston, from the School of the Environment, Geography and Geosciences at Portsmouth University, said: “Previous research using satellite data suggests Greenland’s glaciers and ice caps could lose between 19% and 28% of their volume by 2100.

“These predictions only use information gathered from the past few decades, whereas our research provides data from more than 100 years ago.”

Lead author Dr Jonathan Carrivick, from Leeds University’s School of Geography, said: “The impact of meltwater runoff

from Greenland into the North Atlantic extends beyond global sea-level rise, affecting North Atlantic ocean circulation, European climate patterns, and Greenlandic fjord water quality and marine ecosystems.

“This has immense implications on humans too, with these glacier changes having a direct impact on the economic activities of fishing, mining and hydropower, as well as affecting people’s health and behaviour.”

LOST: The white lines indicate where scientists interpret the glacial edge was in 1900.