Greenland’s Ice Melt Is in 'Overdrive,' With No Sign of Slowing

Melting on Greenland's ice sheet has gone into "overdrive," with meltwater runoff increasing 50 percent since the start of the industrial era and continuing to accelerate, new research shows. As more water runs off the ice sheet, it drives sea level rise, putting new pressure on coastal communities around the world.

New research showing the accelerating melting of the
Greenland Ice sheet" is a wake-up call that shows how fast
 Greenland is changing," said climate researcher Luke Trusel. 

"Once the ice sheets get kicked into motion, they just keep going. This is a wake-up call that shows how fast Greenland is changing," said Rowan University climate researcher Luke Trusel, co-author of the new study published Wednesday in the scientific journal Nature.

The scientists found that the trend of increasing surface melting across the ice sheet began in the mid-1800s as greenhouse gas emissions from the growth of industries were ramping up, and that it shot up over the past three decades. More meltwater is running off Greenland's ice sheet now than at any time in the last 350 years, and probably since long before that, going back 6,000 to 7,000 years, Trusel said.

Read the Inside Climate News story by Bob Berwyn - “Greenland’s Ice Melt Is in 'Overdrive,' With No Sign of Slowing.”