Greenhouse gases may be having a greater effect on the melting Greenland ice sheet than previously thought.
A study found rising air temperatures amplified the effects of melting caused by ocean warming, leading to greater ice loss from the world’s second largest ice sheet.
Experts liken the effect to how ice cubes melt more quickly if they are in a drink that is being stirred – the combination of warmer liquid and movement accelerates the melting process.
Previous studies have shown that rising air and ocean temperatures both cause the Greenland ice sheet to melt. However the new study, by researchers from the universities of Edinburgh and California San Diego, reveals how one intensifies the effects of the other.
“Ice cubes will obviously melt faster in a warm drink than in a cold drink, hence the edges of the Greenland ice sheet melt faster if the ocean is warmer,” Dr Donald Slater of Edinburgh University’s school of geosciences said.
“But ice cubes in a drink will also melt faster if you stir the drink, and rising air temperatures in Greenland effectively result in a stirring of the ocean close to the ice sheet, causing faster melting of the ice sheet by the ocean.
“This unfortunately adds to the overwhelming body of evidence showing the sensitivity of the Greenland ice sheet to climate change, hence the need for urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
In Greenland the amplification process happens when warm air temperatures melt the surface of the ice sheet, generating meltwater.
This meltwater flowing into the ocean creates turbulence that results in more heat, melting the edges of the ice sheet submerged in the ocean.
Researchers evaluated below-sea-surface melting of the Greenland ice sheet – which covers more than 1,680,000 square kilometres – from 1979 to 2018.
The team found air temperature has had almost as much impact as ocean temperature on melting, with some regional variations.
For example, ocean temperature is the main factor that controls below-sea-surface melting in south and central-west Greenland, while atmospheric warming dominated in the island’s north-west.
Source : Independent