Melting of Greenland ice cap accelerating

Scientists have discovered an acceleration in the rate of melting of the Greenland ice cap since 2000, the BBC reported Nov. 12. According to a paper published in the journal Science, data from a variety of sources, including satellite measurements, show that the ice loss is resulting from a combination of surface melting and the increasingly rapid flow of glaciers into the ocean; the increased thinning of the faster moving glaciers provides evidence for the accelerating glacier flow, the BBC said.

The loss of ice from a land-based ice cap, such as exists in Greenland, is of particular importance because it results in a rise in global sea levels. The melting of sea ice, by comparison, does not impact sea levels because floating ice displaces an equal weight of seawater.

The melting of the entire Greenland ice cap would raise global sea levels by about 20 feet, the BBC said. However, it is unclear whether the accelerated rate of melting of the ice cap will continue, or whether it is a temporary phenomenon.

—Alan Bailey