· 2 min read
illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Washington Post or enjoy below:
🗞️ Driving the news: A new study reveals that Greenland's ice sheet has lost 20% more ice than previously estimated, amounting to an additional 1,000 gigatons
🔭 The context: Earlier estimates focused on mass changes within the ice sheet's interior
• This study, however, includes losses at the glacier edges, revealing a more significant and widespread ice loss across Greenland
• It uses extensive satellite imagery analysis covering 207 glaciers from 1985 to 2022
🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Although the ice loss at the glacier edges doesn't directly raise sea levels, it accelerates the flow of inland ice into oceans, indirectly contributing to sea level rise
• Moreover, the freshwater discharge from melting ice could impact ocean circulation patterns, affecting global climate and ecosystems
⏭️ What's next: The continuous ice loss indicates a potential long-term weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), which is crucial for distributing heat and sustaining ocean life
• This trend, if sustained, could lead to significant environmental and climatic changes globally
💬 One quote: "There’s basically no part of Greenland that’s safe from climate change,” (Chad Greene, the study's lead author and a scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory)
📈 One stat: The study found that Greenland glaciers lost a total of 1,034 gigatons of ice due to retreat and calving on their peripheries
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