Dark Snow Project 2014

Spreading the word:

 

Comments

[Lynn Shwadchuck]

I've sent my donation. Last time they mailed me a nice sticker, etc.

[Colorado Bob]

Greenland Ice Sheet Melt Could Occur Yearly By 2100

In July 2012, Greenland ice sheet watchers sounded the alarm as 97 percent of the ice sheet surface melted. It was a rare occurrence, one that left researchers puzzling over the exact causes and the likelihood it could occur again in the future. New research released Monday sheds light on the causes behind the melt and includes projections that show if greenhouse gas emissions aren’t slowed, it could become a yearly occurrence by 2100. While that would represent a dramatic change, researchers aren’t clear what the ramifications would be.

Extent of surface melt over Greenland’s ice sheet on July 8 (left) and July 12 (right). Measurements from three satellites showed that on July 8, about 40 percent of the ice sheet had undergone thawing at or near the surface. In just a few days, the melting had dramatically accelerated and an estimated 97 percent of the ice sheet surface had thawed by July 12. Click on the image for a larger version. Credit: Nicolo E. DiGirolamo, SSAI/NASA GSFC, and Jesse Allen, NASA Earth Observatory
http://www.climatecentral.org/news/greenland-ice-sheet-melt-17461

[Colorado Bob]

Greenland Glaciers More Susceptible to Melt Than Thought

Greenland’s glaciers are more vulnerable to melting by warm ocean waters than previously thought, a new study of the topography of the bedrock under the ice finds. This clearer picture of the underpinnings of the miles-thick ice sheet, along with other recent studies that suggest parts of Earth’s polar regions are not as stable as once thought, could mean that current projections of future sea level rise are too low.

http://www.climatecentral.org/news/greenland-glaciers-melt-sea-level-rise-17457