Helheim Glacier in Greenland: researchers find alarming evidence

In Greenland at the beginning of August, a huge piece of glacier broke. NASA researchers now wanted to find out why the ice melts so quickly – and found alarming evidence on the Helheim glacier.

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It was a hot summer in Greenland. So hot that on August 2, more than eight kilometers from the Kulusuk settlement, a large piece of ice broke away from a glacier. It was as big as a football field. Greenland lost 12.5 billion tons of ice that day. The CNN news channel reports. Never before has so much ice fallen into the sea in one day.

NASA researchers involved in the Oceans Melting Greenland (OMG) program then headed to the island. They wanted to find out what influences the ice is attacking exactly and it melts. Not only have they studied the increase in the temperature of the air, but also the heating of the water.

Glacier completely surrounded by hot water

To this end, the researchers headed for Helheim, the largest glacier in Greenland. It is about 6.4 kilometers wide and almost as tall as the Statue of Liberty. Through the ice layer, they collected samples that should provide information on the temperature of the water and its salt content.

The data that the scientists subsequently saw was disturbing. The glacier is completely surrounded by hot water and extends over 600 meters into the ocean.

"It is very rare in any part of the planet to have 700 meters without any temperature difference," says Ian Fenty, a research scientist with NASA on CNN. Usually you can find colder water in the hundreds of meters. "But right in front of the glacier it's hot to the top."

Glaciers can dramatically increase sea levels

Hot water could reach all the ice on the surface of the glacier, which could melt it even faster. "There is enough ice in Greenland to raise the sea level by 7.5 meters," says NASA oceanographer Josh Willis.

This could have devastating effects on the coasts of the entire planet. Only a glacier like Helheim, and even much smaller ones, can raise the global sea level by half a millimeter in a month. This cannot be ignored, say NASA researchers. (FF)

Sources used:

• CNN: "At the bottom of a glacier in Greenland, climate scientists find worrying signs"