The areas of Greenland that are melting are shown in blue.
Click on image for full size
Courtesy of NASA
Greenland is Melting!
News story originally written on July 21, 2000
A seven year study led by NASA has shown that the ice surrounding Greenland is melting.
Scientists now think the best way to study global climate is to monitor the world's largest island.
"Why the ice margins are thinning so rapidly
warrants additional study," says Bill Krabill, project scientist at NASA. "It may
indicate that the coastal margins of ice sheets are capable of
responding more rapidly than we thought to external changes, such
as a warming climate."
Whenever ice melts it contributes to higher sea levels. Scientists say the melting of
Greenland's ice is not threatening, but if the trend continues in other parts of the world, such as Antarctica, we may have problems in the future.
Fortunately, NASA is working on a new satellite, set to launch in 2001, that will monitor these ice regions.
You might also be interested in:
It was another exciting and frustrating year for the space science program. It seemed that every step forward led to one backwards. Either way, NASA led the way to a great century of discovery. Unfortunately,
...moreThe Space Shuttle Discovery lifted off from Kennedy Space Center at 2:19 p.m. EST, October 29th. The sky was clear and the weather was great as Discovery took 8 1/2 minutes to reach orbit for the Unitied
...more A moon was discovered orbiting the asteroid, Eugenia. This is only the second time in history that a satellite has been seen circling an asteroid. A special mirror allowed scientists to find the moon
...more Will Russia ever put the service module for the International Space Station in space? NASA officials are demanding an answer from the Russian government. The necessary service module is currently waiting
...moreDuring a period of about two days in early May, 1998, the ACE spacecraft was immersed in plasma associated with a coronal mass ejection (CME). The SWICS instrument on ACE, which determines unambiguously
...moreJ.S. Maini of the Canadian Forest Service has referred to forests as the "heart and lungs of the world." Forests reduce soil erosion, maintain water quality, contribute to atmospheric humidity and cloud
...moreIn late April through mid-May 2002, all five naked-eye planets are visible simultaneously in the night sky! This is includes Mercury which is generally very hard to see because of its proximity to the
...more