Greenland: Researchers have warned that the thaw won’t stop anytime soon

In parts of the Greenland Ice Sheet, according to a new study, a critical turning point will likely be crossed soon, from which the melting point can barely be stopped. The Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), citing results from German and Norwegian researchers, announced that due to rising temperatures, destabilization has already begun in the central-western regions. Even with limited global warming, melt could then continue.

“We have found evidence that the midwestern portion of the Greenland Ice Sheet has been shaken,” said PIK scientist Nicklas Bowers. “Our results indicate that there will be a significantly increased melt in the future – which is very worrying.” The reason is the feedback effects, as the temperature of the ice sheet progresses faster as its height decreases.

“Largely irreversible”

In order to prevent melting, not only will the warming stop, but temperatures must drop below the pre-industrial level in order to return to the height of the ice sheet of past centuries.

“In practice,” says Bowers, “the current and projected loss of ice mass in the near future would be largely irreversible.” “So it is time to rapidly and dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels and stabilize the ice sheet and our climate again.”

According to the results of the previous model, according to PIK, melting of the Greenland ice sheet is inevitable from a critical global average temperature threshold of 0.8 to 3.2 ° C above the pre-industrial level.

Once this threshold is crossed, the ice sheet could melt completely over hundreds or thousands of years, which could lead to a global sea level rise of more than seven meters and the collapse of the Atlantic Zonal circulation (AMOC) responsible for the relative proportions. Heating in Europe And the North America Responsible for.