Greenland's Melting Ice Shelves: Alarming Consequences for Sea Level Rise

Greenland's northern ice shelves, which float on the ocean, have lost over a third of their volume since 1978 due to warm sea water eating away at them. Three of these ice shelves have completely collapsed since 2000, and the remaining five are rapidly deteriorating, destabilizing nearby glaciers. As the ice shelves shrink and retreat inland, more of their belly is exposed to warm saltwater, leading to increased melting rates. This contributes to rising sea levels as the glaciers discharge more ice into the ocean. The decline of Greenland's ice shelves is driven by higher ocean and air temperatures, as well as the disappearance of sea ice, which acts as a buffer. The accelerated flow of glaciers into the sea poses a significant threat to sea level rise.