AUG 07

In mid-July, an astonishing, estimated 97 percent of the ice sheet covering Greenland was melting due to a high temperature dome of warm air. Scientists at NASA noticed this late in July, and were shocked at what they found.

Most of Greenland is a big ice sheet. In the summer, large areas of its surface melt, though much of the water quickly re-freezes. Under more normal conditions, 40 or 50 percent of the area can have melting, but virtually the entire ice sheet melting was unprecedented. The 97% area was so extraordinary that the scientists who first discovered this initially thought that there was a problem with the satellites providing the data, and they didn't release the information until they had checked their findings with two other instruments.

The melting took place exceptionally rapidly, as well. "The melting spread quickly. Melt maps derived from the three satellites showed that on July 8, about 40 percent of the ice sheet's surface had melted. By July 12, 97 percent had melted."

Scientists are not yet sure how much of an impact this event will have on sea level rise or how the ice sheet will be affected long term. But it is another unusual event that further shows evidence that the climate is not behaving in the ways it has in the past.

via: NASA

Comments (5)

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Short and Sweet
written by Tracy, August 07, 2012

Thank you for presenting this data so short and sweet It puzzled me some people continue to believe to this material as a "hoax" it still puzzles me. Hopefully with more information like this they can begin to see there is going to be an impact on us all.

take care.x.

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green
written by kole, August 08, 2012

This is incredibly frightening. Hopefully we can start a revolution to fix all this.

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written by Miguel, August 10, 2012

According to another NASA scientist, ice cores say this kind of thing happens about once every 150 years: http://news.nationalgeographic...e-science/

"Ice cores from Summit show that melting events of this type occur about once every 150 years on average. With the last one happening in 1889, this event is right on time," says Lora Koenig, a Goddard glaciologist and a member of the research team analyzing the satellite data. "But if we continue to observe melting events like this in upcoming years, it will be worrisome."
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120724131608.htm

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written by iain, September 06, 2012

Unfortunately the powers that be are more interested in making a quick buck than doing what is necessary to put thing right.When the waves are lapping round London and New york maybe there priorities will change.

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Reduce carbon emission
written by Richard, December 26, 2012

This was bound to happen. If not today then tomorrow. Reducing carbon emission is the only hope that I could see.

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