Greenland ice melt: NASA and ESA reveal alarming loss trends
Based on satellite data from NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA), a new recording shows 13 years of melting Greenland's ice sheet. The study, published in the journal "Geopthatrs," revealed that from melting for 13 years, 2010 to 2023, Greenland lost 2,345 cubic kilometres of ice, equivalent to the volume of Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa.
The data indicate that the ice sheet's edges are melting significantly faster than its centre, especially where glaciers flow into the sea. As reported by Live Science, the average ice thickness loss was about 1.2 metres, but in some areas, like the Zachariae Isstrøm glacier, a loss of up to 75 metres was recorded. Additionally, satellite images show that most ice loss occurs when glaciers meet the ocean. Red areas on the visualisation depict the greatest losses. It can be viewed below:
Greenland melting
Researchers from Northumbria University conducted the study, which was published in Geophysical Research Letters. The study aimed to measure ice loss and compare the results obtained by two different satellites: CryoSat-2 from ESA and ICESat-2 from NASA. The first uses radar to measure the Earth's surface height, while the second uses laser technology. Both are tasked with monitoring changes in Greenland's ice sheet thickness.
The data comparison showed that the measurements of both satellites differed by only 3%, confirming their high accuracy and the possibility of combining results, as highlighted by Live Science. Especially since 2020, both satellites have been moving along the same orbits, synchronising their observations.
Greenland's ice sheet has been losing mass since 1998, which is currently the second-largest factor contributing to rising sea levels worldwide. As researchers noted, the worst situation occurred in 2021 and 2019, when Greenland experienced exceptionally warm summers, and the ice sheet lost an average of over 400 cubic kilometres of its volume each year.
Thorsten Markus, a NASA scientist responsible for the ICESat-2 mission, emphasised in a statement: "It is great to see that the data from sister missions' are providing a consistent picture of the changes going on in Greenland. Understanding the similarities and differences between radar and lidar ice sheet height measurements allows us to fully exploit those satellite missions' complementary nature. Studies like this are critical to put a comprehensive time series of the ICESat, CryoSat-2, ICESat-2, and, in the future, CRISTAL missions together."
The research results are extremely useful since the loss of ice sheet mass is a crucial factor contributing to the global rise in sea levels. In the future, satellite data may play a significant role in preparing and adapting to the impacts of climate change.
