Greenland Ice Sheet Depleting Faster Than Forecast, Irreversibly Committed to Sea Level Rise

Greenland's ice loss under the current rate is expected to raise global sea levels by 10.8 inches.

Written by Siddhant Chandra, Edited by Richa Sharma | Updated: 30 August 2022 17:08 IST

Greenland Ice Sheet Depleting Faster Than Forecast, Irreversibly Committed to Sea Level Rise

Photo Credit: NASA/ Thomas W Johansen

Greenland's ice sheet is estimated to be irreversibly reduced by 59,000 square km

Highlights

Greenland's ice sheet is reportedly over 3km thick
It stores enough fresh water to raise global sea levels by 7.4 metres
The study uses observations, glaciological theory to reach this result

Greenland's ice sheet is reported so out of balance with the Arctic climate that it can no longer hold on to its current size, a new report claims. Furthermore, it is suggested that the ice sheet is irreversibly committed to reduce by 59,000 square km, which is considerably larger than the area of Denmark, Greenland's protectorate state. It has come to a dooming conclusion that even if all the greenhouse gas emissions were to stop today, the current rate of ice loss will cause irreversible damage to the ice sheet.

According to The Conversation, Greenland's ice loss under current temperatures will raise the global sea level by at least 10.8 inches. This rise in sea levels is reportedly more than the current forecast models, even though it is reportedly a highly conservative estimate.

This new study reportedly alters the approach for estimating the rise in sea level. It is said to be based on observations and glaciological theory rather than numerical models, which are purportedly ineffective in capturing the emerging processes amplifying Greenland's ice loss.

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For instance, bio-albedo darkening reportedly is said to accelerate surface melt as well as impact melting and refreezing of surface ice. Such issues are reportedly not incorporated in numerical models and can only be understood by directly drilling into the ice.

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The Greenland ice sheet is a frozen reservoir that is over 3km thick and stores enough fresh water to raise global sea levels by 7.4 metres. As per the report, Greenland will lose at least 3.3 percent of its ice, over 100 trillion metric tons, before it is able to re-establish a balance with the prevailing Arctic climate.

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