Greenland’s Ice Sheet Is Melting

Studies show that the oceans are warming, and Antarctica’s ice is melting.  Now there is a new area where the ice is melting, Greenland’s ice sheets.  It shows that southwest Greenland’s ice sheets are melting at an alarming rate.  They have been melting at about 4 times the rate that was researched in 2003.  Research showed that this area was not considered at risk of melting like the southeast and northwest areas because it doesn’t have the large glaciers.  The ice sheets are devoid of glaciers and so the melting is suggested to be coming from another area.  The warm air and the warming of the ocean water is also contributing to the melting.

When the North Atlantic Oscillation is in a positive phase the skies above are cloudy, but when it is in a negative phase the air becomes warmer and allows the sunlight to melt the ice.  Because of the climate change the negative has been happening more often than in the past.  When this happens the melting of the ice will cause the sea-level to rise and become a major contributor to the rise in the future.

Researchers believe that if humans can reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that we will be able to either slow down or help it to stop the melting.