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Researchers found thermal convection causes plume-like structures deep in Greenland’s ice sheet, revealing ice softness and aiding future sea-level rise predictions.
LeftCenterRightGround G Logo LightBias ComparisonGround G Logo Bias ComparisonA recent Nature Communications study led by the University of Barcelona found extreme Greenland melt events are more frequent, more extensive and more intense.Cryosphere researchers modelled a 2.5-kilometre ice slab and found radar-like plumes form only when basal ice is warmer and softer than standard assumptions.Measured data reveal the area affected by extreme melting rose 2.8 million km² per decade since 1990, meltwater production increased from 12.7 to 82.4 gigatons per decade, and seven of the 10 most extreme melts occurred since 2000.Estimates show Greenland’s ice melting could raise sea levels by 24 feet and increase geopolitical attention, as the rapid transformation has global consequences, the study found.Under high greenhouse-gas emission scenarios, extreme meltwater anomalies could triple by century’s end; thermodynamic intensification drives more water per event, with northern Greenland as a main hotspot.Wrench IconDoes this summary seem wrong?