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Monday, November 23, 2009

Photo: Greenland's Ice Melt Grew by 250 Percent, Satellites Show


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A graphic shows the height of the Greenland ice sheet in 2006 (left) and during the last interglacial period about 130,000 years ago, when the Arctic was 5 to 8°F (3 to 5°C) warmer in the summer. Experts predict that continued global warming could cause the Arctic to heat up to these prehistoric temperatures, rapidly melting the Greenland ice sheet.

Now analysis of satellite data shows that the rate of ice loss in Greenland has risen by 250 percent in recent years, a trend that could be linked to climate change.

Image courtesy Bette Otto-Bliesner, National Center for Atmospheric Research