Subtropical Waters Flushing Through Greenland, Driving Glacial Melting
Tuesday, February 16, 2010 - 20:14
in Earth & Climate
Subtropical waters are reaching Greenland's glaciers and likely triggering an acceleration of ice loss, reports a team of researchers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and the University of Maine. "This is the first time we've seen waters this warm in any of the fjords in Greenland," says Fiamma Straneo, a physical oceanographer from the WHOI. "The subtropical waters are flowing through the fjord very quickly, so they can transport heat and drive melting at the end of the glacier." While melting due to warming air temperatures is a known event, scientists are just beginning to learn more about the ocean's impact — in particular, the influence of currents — on the ice sheet. read more