Melting of Greenland Ice Sheet Enough to Cause Flooding Across US in 20 Years

The Greenland ice sheet continues to melt due to human-caused global warming over the decades. A new study suggests the melting ice of Greenland in the past 20 years is enough to cause flooding across the US.  

This fact has been exemplified in various studies and missions, including NASA-led projects, conducted over recent years. The threat posed by the melting ice of Antarctica also poses a threat to the rise of sea levels across the planet.

Melting of the Greenland and Antarctica Ice Sheets

(Photo : Fabrice Coffrini via Getty Images)

A team of Danish researchers released new data and showed the melting of the Greenland ice sheet is enough to cause flooding across the US in half a meter of water, as per NDTV.

These findings came following the acquisition of data from NASA's Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) program and GRACE satellites-which showed that both Greenland and Antarctica's ice sheets have been losing mass since 2002.

Since 2002, 4,700 billion tons of ice had melted in the Greenland ice sheet, according to Polar Portal, a joint project consisting of several Danish Arctic research institutes.

According to NASA, both the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets are melting and losing vast amounts of land-based ice due to human-caused global warming.

The climate is warming faster in the Arctic than anywhere else on Earth and the melting ice from Greenland is now the main factor in the rise of ocean levels across the planet, says NASA.

Scientists say the global warming effect of climate change is increasing temperature three to four times the global average.

Also read: Study Shows Glaciers in Northern Hemisphere Continue to Melt at an Alarming Rate

Melting Ice Equates to Sea Level Rise

NASA's findings suggest the Greenland glaciers are now retreating six to seven times faster compared to 25 years ago.

Climate scientists reportedly estimate the Greenland ice sheet contains enough water to increase the sea level by more than seven meters. Meanwhile, the Antarctica ice sheet is enough to increase sea level by almost 50 meters, says, scientists.

Currently, the melting of the Greenland ice sheet has only contributed to the rise of sea level by 1.2 centimeters, as per Phys.org.

Ice Melting as a Stark Reminder of Global Warming

NASA said the accelerating melting of ice near Greenland's coasts can be caused by the warming of the Arctic Ocean, as per France24. NASA's findings are based on its five-year campaign known as the Ocean Melting Greenland (OMG) mission.

The OMG mission allowed NASA to measure the loss of ice and yearly ocean temperature in Greenland. This measurement is done through a comprehensive marine survey off the coast of Greenland, the creation of a sea map, and determining the salinity of the water, as per Science Times.

The continuous warming of the planet has been evident from previous studies over recent years. In 2021, European scientists concluded that 2021 is the fifth hottest year, as per The New York Times.

According to Carlo Buontempo, the director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, the events of 2021 "are a stark reminder of the need to change our ways, take decisive and effective steps toward a sustainable society and work toward reducing net carbon emissions."

Related article: New Research: Himalayan Glaciers Are Melting Rapidly, Threatening the Water Supply of Millions in Asia