Greenland ice sheet may melt at a faster rate with the increase in global temperatures, according to a new study.
The experiments carried out by Penn State geoscientists showed that the melting of ice sheets in Greenland, would cause the global sea level to increase by around 24 feet.
Arctic sea ice reflects the solar energy back through the atmosphere. However, when there is open water post melting of the sea ice, the water absorbs the solar energy and reradiates it back into the atmosphere as heat.
The rise in sea level is not caused by floating ice. Though, the ice sheet in Greenland rests on the bedrock above sea level.
Greenland, in particular, might be vulnerable to melting of ice sheets with that region witnessing around 50 percent more warming as compared to the global average.
The team of researchers considered two models of the Greenland ice sheet that include several significant feedbacks.
The first model is a 3D ice sheet model and the second one looks at a transect across the island which was developed by Byron Parizek from Penn State Dubois.
Robert Nicholas, research associate, estimated the amount of warming that may take place over Greenland employing results from worldwide climate models.
The two models shed light that the time required for loss of ice mass from the Greenland ice sheet is sharply declining with a rise in temperature. The relationship between the flow of ice and height-melting feedback is responsible for the fast melting rate.
According to the researchers, the analysis shows that the advantages of cutting down on greenhouse gases emissions, with respect to avoided sea level increase from the Greenland Ice Sheet, may be greatest if the decrease in emissions start before rise in temperature has been realized.
The study has been published in the journal of Climate Dynamics.
via Science - Google News http://ift.tt/1tmNAnF
Put the internet to work for you.
No comments:
Post a Comment