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Greenland ice sheets travelling faster to ocean

Posted Jun 07, 2007 at 10:35PM by Ceasar S. Listed in: Global Warming Tags: Arctic, global warming, Reuters, University of Colorado
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In a recent Q&A conducted by Reuters, Dr. Konrad Steffen of the University of Colorado at Boulder's Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences revealed that global warming has had an adverse effect on the ice sheet flow in Greenland.

Greenland ice sheet travelling faster to ocean - Image 1


According to veteran Arctic climate researcher, they have noted an increase of 30% of the total melt area in the last 30 years. But it could probably increase further with the new developments they have observed in their field research camp. "In the past we all assumed the ice sheet was moving at constant speed toward the ice edge," said Steffen.

But apparently, the local glacier has increased in speed suddenly somewhere between 2002 and 2003 to twice its normal speed. "In the past we all assumed the ice sheet was moving at constant speed toward the ice edge. The big glacier here, Jakobshavn Isbrae, had a velocity of 6-7 km per year into the fjord up to 1995," Steffen noted.

Although many theories are now open to interpret what this could mean for global current (also referred to as the conveyor belt of ocean currents), Steffen still remains adamant that they have no way of modelling the dynamics that arises out of the increased melting. "We can model melt but we cannot model the dynamics," he admitted.

He remains strong in his opinion, however, that there will be no effect on the global ocean currents. "It is unlikely that we have an abrupt climate change due to the ice loss of Greenland alone," he concluded.

[Via Reuters] Permalink  |   Email this  |   Linking Blogs   |   Digg It!

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