Should We Be Alarmed by Greenland Ice Melt?
Answer: yes and no. Yes, Greenland is already melting much faster than in recent history. And yes, this will cause sea levels to rise two to six feet in this century. But no, the latest discovery that 97 percent of the ice sheet has been melting this year does not necessarily mean that this event is a product of global warming. [readon]
We’re learning that for the past 10,000 years, a melt like this has been happening every 150 years or so, and it’s about that long since the last one.
Weather patterns fluctuate.
But then again, when so many weather patterns are in fluctuation, as they are currently, and as climate change is affecting so many weather systems all at once, all around the globe, we just don’t know what to expect next – especially with a 46-square-mile huge chunk of glacier breaking off Greenland at the same time.
Andrew Freedman explains what’s happening on Greenland at Climate Central.