Greenland's melting ice nears a 'tipping point,' scientists say

Jan 22, 20190

JOE MACGREGOR/NASA ICEBRIDGE – New York Times count

In a photo from NASA, sea ice along Greenland's coast, April 27, 2018. The Arctic has been warmer in the past five years than at any time in the modern era, scientists said. The effects can be felt far beyond the region.

Greenland's enormous ice sheet is melting at such an accelerated rate that it may have reached a "tipping point," and could become a major factor in sea-level rise around the world within two decades, scientists said in a study published Monday.

The Arctic is warming at twice the average rate of the rest of the planet, and the new research adds to the evidence that the ice loss in Greenland, which lies mainly above the Arctic Circle, is speeding up as the warming increases. The authors found that ice loss in 2012 was nearly four times the rate in 2003, and after a lull in 2013-14, it has resumed.

http://www.startribune.com/greenland-s-melting-ice-nears-a-tipping-point-scientists-say/504663552/