Protectors of the Ice? Strange Giant Viruses Discovered on Greenland Ice Sheet
Researchers have found giant viruses on Greenland’s ice that might control the darkening and melting of Arctic ice by infecting snow algae. Harnessing these viruses…
Greenland is the world’s largest island, located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though geographically part of the continent of North America, it has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for more than a millennium, particularly Norway and Denmark. The majority of its land area is covered by the Greenland ice sheet, one of the largest ice masses in the world, which plays a crucial role in influencing global climate patterns through its substantial ice cover and impact on sea levels. Greenland’s population of about 56,000 is primarily Inuit, an indigenous group descended from the Thule culture. The capital, Nuuk, is a significant cultural and economic center in the country. Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, with its government responsible for domestic affairs while Copenhagen handles defense and foreign policy. The island’s economy relies on fishing, tourism, and emerging potential for resource exploitation, including mining for minerals and oil exploration, amid concerns about environmental sustainability.
Researchers have found giant viruses on Greenland’s ice that might control the darkening and melting of Arctic ice by infecting snow algae. Harnessing these viruses…
Under the 79° N-Glacier, melt rates have been measured at 130 meters per year. Measurements from land-based instruments and airplane-mounted radars in Greenland’s far northeast…
UC Irvine researchers suggest we may be underestimating the severity of sea level rise. Researchers at the University of California, Irvine and NASA’s Jet Propulsion…
Greenland’s ice and glacier cover has diminished by 11,000 square miles in three decades due to warming temperatures, leading to significant environmental changes. This transformation…
A new, comprehensive analysis of satellite data finds more Greenland ice lost than previously estimated and that the majority of glaciers on the landmass have…
Greenland’s peripheral glaciers are retreating rapidly, with recent studies showing a significant acceleration in the 21st century. This highlights the urgent need to address climate…
The new findings are ubiquitous, even among Earth’s northernmost glaciers. New study documents how Greenland’s peripheral glaciers have changed from 1890 to 2022 Using satellite…
In the largest survey of its kind ever conducted researchers from the University of Copenhagen firmly establish that Greenland’s glaciers are melting at an unprecedented…
UC Irvine-led researchers identify contributions of downslope winds and ozone layer. Surface ice in Greenland has been melting at an increasing rate in recent decades,…
Scientists have some ideas about what might have caused a thin arc that spanned a fjord in Western Greenland. In summer, the fjords around Greenland…
New analysis of sediments from the Camp Century ice core reveals that northwestern Greenland was ice-free during the Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 11 interglacial period….
Seasonal warmth led to the rapid disintegration of sea ice near the junction of two large outlet glaciers. Summer can be harsh on the planet’s…
Warm weather caused substantial melting in June and July 2023, especially on the southern portion of the island. More than halfway through the 2023 melting…
Scientists report much of the Artic island’s ice melted as recently as 416,000 years ago, which has implications for sea-level rise. Newly analyzed samples from…
Long-lost ice core reveals that most of Greenland was green 416,000 years ago. A large portion of Greenland was an ice-free tundra landscape—perhaps covered by…
Decades of retreat are visible from above, but harder-to-see changes below the waterline could also affect this iconic glacier’s future. Petermann Glacier is one of…
Study suggests extent of future sea level rise could be vastly underestimated. New research has found that the grounding line of Greenland’s Petermann Glacier shifts…
Atmospheric rivers contribute to the acceleration of glacial melting in northern Greenland, as warming conditions caused by these moisture flows result in meltwater pools and…