Melting Greenland ice raises sea level more than previously thought

Sea levels are rising more than expected as Greenland’s glaciers melt faster than anticipated, according to research by Shfaqat Abbas Khan at the Technical University of Denmark and his colleagues.

The study, based on data collected from a network of precise GPS stations, satellite data and modelling, shows that as Greenland’s glaciers melt, channels of fast-flowing ice are formed, such as the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream. By 2100, this ice stream alone will contribute six times more to rising sea levels than previously suggested. This sea level rise is equivalent to that caused by Greenland’s entire ice sheet over the past 50 years.

The researchers collected data from as far as 200 kilometres inland, showing that ice loss is also occurring within the heart of the glacier. They concluded that without action on climate change, this retreating of melting glaciers could continue for centuries.