February 16, 2024
According to a study by researchers at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Jet Propulsion Laboratory, USA, the Greenland ice sheet has been melting at a rate that is 20% faster than what was thought previously. For the study, researchers observed the loss of ice at the edges of the Greenland ice sheet from 1985 to 2022 and found that the ice sheet has been shrinking rapidly since 2000. Scientists observed 207 glaciers with the help of satellite images and discovered that the Greenland ice sheet has lost over 5,000sq kms of ice since 1985. The ice loss will have a small effect on sea levels but will affect ocean circulation to a great extent in the future. Melting ice will decrease the saltiness of the ocean, thus affecting ocean currents and ocean circulation.
DID YOU KNOW?
The Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets comprise 99% of the Earth’s freshwater ice combined.
