Part of the ice sheet– the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream– streams into 2 major marine outlet glaciers on the countrys coast: the Nioghalvfjerdsfjorden Glacier (or 79NG) and the Zachariae Isstrom (or ZI). While the ZI glacier lost its floating tongue back in the 2010s, ice from 79NG continues to stream toward the sea through a fjord, in a swathe roughly 20 kilometers wide and 80 kilometers long.The Stability of the 79NG GlacierWhy is this drifting ice tongue, the largest left in Greenland– apparently– so steady? One thing is already clear: if the ice tongue were to vanish completely, it would have far-reaching effects for the stability of the land-based ice behind it, and for progressively rising sea levels.
Their study findings, which have just now been released in the journal Nature Communications, pave the way for more accurate forecasts on the future of the Greenland Ice Sheet and increasing sea level increase from global warming.Greenlands huge ice sheet consists of nearly 3 million cubic kilometers of water. Part of the ice sheet– the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream– flows into two significant marine outlet glaciers on the nations coast: the Nioghalvfjerdsfjorden Glacier (or 79NG) and the Zachariae Isstrom (or ZI). While the ZI glacier lost its drifting tongue back in the 2010s, ice from 79NG continues to stream towards the sea through a fjord, in a swathe approximately 20 kilometers broad and 80 kilometers long.The Stability of the 79NG GlacierWhy is this floating ice tongue, the largest left in Greenland– obviously– so stable?” First of all, due to worldwide warming, more surface area meltwater has reached the Greenland Ice Sheet in the previous couple of decades, permeating the ice. One thing is already clear: if the ice tongue were to disappear entirely, it would have significant consequences for the stability of the land-based ice behind it, and for gradually rising sea levels.
