Greenland's Glaciers Retreating at Unprecedented Rate, Study Reveals

Rate of retreat doubles in 21st century, contributing significantly to sea level rise and underscoring urgent need for CO2 emission reduction.

Greenland's peripheral glaciers, separate from the island's central ice sheet, are retreating at a rate twice as fast in the 21st century as they did in the 20th century, according to a study by Northwestern University and the University of Copenhagen.
The study, which used satellite images and historical aerial photographs, documented changes in over 1,000 of Greenland's glaciers over the past 130 years, revealing a rapid acceleration in retreat over the last two decades.
Despite the range of climates and topographical characteristics across Greenland, the accelerated retreat is ubiquitous, even among Earth's northernmost glaciers, highlighting the region's sensitivity to rising temperatures due to human-caused climate change.
The study finds that climate change explains the accelerated glacier retreat and that glaciers across Greenland respond quickly to changing temperatures, emphasizing the importance of slowing global warming.
While peripheral glaciers only represent about 4% of Greenland's total ice-covered area, they contribute 14% of the island's current ice loss, a disproportionately large portion. Globally, glaciers distinct from the Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheets have contributed roughly 21% of observed sea level rise over the last two decades.
The melting of Greenland's glaciers is also affecting the availability of fresh water, with implications for agriculture and hydropower. The choices made over the next few years will significantly impact the amount of ice loss.