Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Tech & Science

Indisputable proof of ‘sea level fingerprint’ on Greenland ice sheet melt

With the help of high-resolution satellite observations, scientists detail the unique pattern of sea level change linked to the Greenland ice sheet.

Greenland is experiencing a record heatwave, forcing polar bears to wander further for food. - Copyright AFP/File EVARISTO SA
Greenland is experiencing a record heatwave, forcing polar bears to wander further for food. - Copyright AFP/File EVARISTO SA

With the help of high-resolution satellite observations, scientists detail the unique pattern of sea level change linked to the Greenland ice sheet.

Rising sea levels from melting glaciers and ice sheets pose an increasing threat to coastal communities worldwide. A new analysis of high-resolution satellite observations by scientists confirms the theoretical predictions and computational models of sea level changes used to forecast climate-change-driven impacts.

Sophie Coulson a postdoctoral fellow at Los Alamos National Laboratory is the lead author of the study that led to the findings, which were published in the journal Science. 

The research team “used sea-surface-height observations from satellites. That way, we have independently verified observations of Arctic and Greenland ice-mass loss and allowed us to tease apart contributions to global sea-level rise from individual ice sheets and glacier systems,” said Coulson.

The study was possible thanks to new satellite data shared by the Copernicus Marine Service, data that spanned over 30 years and extended to higher latitudes. Coulson plugged observations of ice-thickness change into a computational model and created a prediction of sea level from 1993 to 2019. She then compared the forecast against the new satellite data — and found a perfect match.

“As this melting continues, and the water is redistributed around the global oceans, sea level does not rise uniformly,” Coulson said. “And since every glacier and ice sheet has a unique pattern of sea-level change, these patterns have come to be known as sea-level fingerprints. But despite over half a century of research, these fingerprints have never been unambiguously detected.”

Coulson’s search focused on satellite observations of sea-surface height in the oceans surrounding the Greenland ice sheet over the last three decades. The dominant effect in this region is that as the Greenland ice sheet loses mass, it exerts less gravitational attraction on the water in the open ocean and so water migrates away from the ice sheet. This results in a lowering of sea level near Greenland, but progressively higher levels of sea-level rise outside the region.

The new study confirms the accuracy of the geophysical predictions of sea-level change and adds confidence to projections of sea level rise across the next decades and century. As Coulson says, “It’s a powerful and sensitive approach to monitoring ice sheets and glaciers in our warming world.”

Avatar photo
Written By

We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our dear friend Karen Graham, who served as Editor-at-Large at Digital Journal. She was 78 years old. Karen's view of what is happening in our world was colored by her love of history and how the past influences events taking place today. Her belief in humankind's part in the care of the planet and our environment has led her to focus on the need for action in dealing with climate change. It was said by Geoffrey C. Ward, "Journalism is merely history's first draft." Everyone who writes about what is happening today is indeed, writing a small part of our history.

You may also like:

Life

Their stories are divided into before and after.

Social Media

Wanna buy some ignorance? You’re in luck.

Tech & Science

Under new legislation that passed the House of Representatives last week, TikTok could be banned in the United States.

Life

Platforms like Instagram and Pinterest often suggest travel destinations based on your likes and viewing habits.