1st direct evidence of Greenland’s ice sheet core melting away in recent past

Just last week, American scientists discovered that tropical glaciers seemed to have shrunk to their smallest size known since the last ice age. The tropics have already warmed past limits last seen earlier in the Holocene age.

Another study analyzed fossils sourced from sediments at the bottom of Greenland’s ice sheet core only to discover that in the past soil consisted of willow wood, insect parts, fungi, and poppy seed in “pristine condition.”

This is the first direct evidence proving ice melted away at the center of Greenland not just around the edges in the recent geological past likely within the last million years according to scientists.

Greenland was greener

Greenland was greener some million years ago, hinting at a major consequence of climate change that affected the planet.

According to a statement by the scientists, the research confirmed that Greenland’s ice melted and the island “greened” during a prior warm period likely within the last million years.

The study proved that the Greenland ice sheet is more fragile than previously anticipated.

To undertake the study, experts re-examined the sediments extracted from Greenland’s ice core in 1993.

The fossils led them to discover the North American island was exposed to a greener tundra landscape with pristine plant and insect remains.

“These fossils are beautiful but, yes, we go from bad to worse,” stated Paul Bierman, a scientist at the University of Vermont and co-leader of the study.

Greenland ice sheet melted at the center

As a consequence of human-driven climate change, the Greenland ice sheet seems to have melted away within the last million years in the core.

The discovery made the scientists realize that if the ice melted at the core of Greenland then it likely melted across the island.

“And probably for many thousands of years,” Bierman added. This allowed ample time for soil formation and an ecosystem to take root.

Additionally, professionals now believe that Greenland’s ice is fragile and the core ice sheet is susceptible to melting away in the future due to ongoing warming trends, similar to how it melted in the past during warmer periods.

“This new study confirms and extends that a lot of sea-level rise occurred at a time when causes of warming were not especially extreme,” stated Richard Alley, a climate scientist at Penn State.

It “provided a warning of what damages we might cause if we continue to warm the climate.”

If Greenland’s ice sheet were to melt significantly, it could lead to a dramatic rise in global sea levels, posing a threat to coastal cities worldwide.

Sea levels have already been observed to have risen significantly with over an inch rise every decade.

“It’s getting faster and faster,” says Bierman.

Experts believe that the sea levels are expected to elevate several feet higher by the end of this century.

Greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels if not tackled now could make the consequences of climate change arrive faster.

This includes ice melting and subsequent sea level rise which will result in flooding and disruption of life in coastal areas.

Bierman noted that the near complete melting of Greenland’s ice over the next centuries to a few millennia would lead to some 23 feet of sea level rise.

“Look at Boston, New York, Miami, Mumbai, or pick your coastal city around the world, and add twenty-plus feet of sea level,” he cautioned. “It goes underwater. Don’t buy a beach house.”

The study was published in the journal – Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences earlier today [August 5, 2024].