Greenland Ice Sheet May Be More Vulnerable To Climate Change, Study Finds

Climate change may be having more impact on the melting Greenland ice sheet than previously thought, new research suggests. From a report: The study found rising air temperatures amplify the effects of melting caused by ocean warming, leading to greater ice loss from the world's second largest ice sheet. Experts liken the effect to how ice cubes melt more quickly if they are in a drink that is being stirred -- the combination of warmer liquid and movement accelerates the melting process. Previous studies have shown that rising air and ocean temperatures both cause the Greenland ice sheet to melt, however the new study, by researchers from the universities of Edinburgh and California San Diego, reveals how one intensifies the effects of the other. Dr Donald Slater, of the University of Edinburgh's School of GeoSciences, who led the study, said: "The effect we investigated is a bit like ice cubes melting in a drink -- ice cubes will obviously melt faster in a warm drink than in a cold drink, hence the edges of the Greenland ice sheet melt faster if the ocean is warmer. But ice cubes in a drink will also melt faster if you stir the drink, and rising air temperatures in Greenland effectively result in a stirring of the ocean close to the ice sheet, causing faster melting of the ice sheet by the ocean."

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