Incase you missed it: Most of Greenland melted in July.

Cabbagesandking

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Apr 24, 2012
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You might like to read this which explains a couple of earlier posts, particularly the one about the draining through cracks.

But you probably will not. Better to hide your heads under the bedclothes.


Researchers Warm Up to Melt's Role in Greenland Ice Loss
04.17.08


Scientists survey surface lakes brought about by seasonal melt of the Greenland Ice Sheet in July 2006. Credit: Joughin/UW Polar Science Center
> High resolution image In July 2006, researchers afloat in a dinghy on a mile-wide glacial lake in Greenland studied features of the lake and ice 40 feet below. Ten days later the entire contents of the lake emptied through a crack in the ice with a force equaling the pummeling water of Niagara Falls. The entire process only took 90 minutes.

Observations before, during and after this swift, forceful event were collected and analyzed by a team led by Ian Joughin of the University of Washington in Seattle and Sarah Das of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Woods Hole, Mass. Their first-of-a-kind observations confirm the structure of the Greenland Ice Sheet plumbing, and go further to show that summertime melt indeed contributes to the speed up of ice loss. They also conclude, however, that summertime melt is not as critical a factor as other causes of ice loss. Research by Joughin and colleagues, published April 17 in Science Express, was funded in part by NASA and the National Science Foundation.



http://web.archive.oResearchers Warm Up to Melt's Role in Greenland Ice Loss
04.17.08
 
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earth_as_one

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Jan 5, 2006
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Greenland Iceberg causes mini tsunami... view from a nearby tour boat that gets swamped
Iceberg tsunami gone wild! - YouTube

The 2012 Greenland Icesheet Melt event could be a rare event or a sign of times to come. The scientists still don't know what to make of it. The ice core record indicates this has happened in the past about every 150 years or so.
 

beaker

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Jun 11, 2012
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The Wunderground people have put together a pretty fair analysis of what is happening with global warming. There is a range of sea level rises, over different time frames depending on factors from CO2 levels, methane releases, amount of the Green land ice sheet that is sitting on smooth ocean facing slopes, ie that has been worn down by the glaciers, which I would think would be fairly high given that average thickness of the ice is over 2 kilometers. Other factors include temperatures of water coming up from the tropics, warmer, the effect of cooler water coming out of the artic etc. And of course they are all inter-related. Anyne wanting or expecting a simple prediction for how fast the water is coming up for beachfront purposes should forget that. Then too as the water goes up small coastal islands, shoals, etc will be inundated making for less interference with storm surges hitting the coasts.

Greenland | Weather Underground
 

petros

The Central Scrutinizer
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\ the Green land ice sheet that is sitting on smooth ocean facing slopes, ie that has been worn down by the glaciers, which I would think would be fairly high given that average thickness of the ice is over 2 kilometers.
Read that again and ask yourself "did that make sense?"

The ice sheet is being worn down by glaciers eh?
 

beaker

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More info from the same wunderground website. Anb excellant site, gives good weather too.

Greenland | Weather Underground

"The Greenland ice sheet covers roughly 85% of the land surface of the island and rises to an average height of 2.3 km (1.6 miles). The immense weight of the ice sheet has pushed the center of the island roughly 300 meters (1000 ft) below sea level. The icy expanse of Greenland, like the rest of the Arctic, not only represents an important climatological indicator, it also is critical to future global climate. Were all of Greenland's ice to melt, global sea level would rise 7 meters (23 feet). Greenland's ice sheet is slowly melting due to warming temperatures, and there is great concern that this melting will accelerate and contribute to sea level rise of several feet later this century."

"Warming temperatures in Greenland and the Arctic will also affect the global climate. The greater the difference in temperature between two places, the faster the heat moves from the warmer to the colder region. As the polar regions become warmer, the temperature difference between the equator and the poles shrinks, making equatorial heat move much more slowly to the poles. However, the flow of heat through the atmosphere from the equator to the poles is what powers global atmospheric circulation. If that flow changes, the path of the jet stream will also be altered, resulting in new storm tracks and precipitation patterns. While some regions will benefit from more favorable rains, others will experience increased drought and water availability problems."
 

petros

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A glacier (UK
/ˈɡlæsiə/ GLASS-ee-ər or US /ˈɡlʃər/ GLAY-shər) is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation (melting and sublimation) over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km2 in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight. Crevasses, seracs, and other distinguishing features of a glacier are due to its flow. Another consequence of glacier flow is the transport of rock and debris abraded from its substrate and resultant landforms like cirques and moraines. Glaciers form on land, often elevated, and are distinct from the much thinner sea ice and lake ice that form on the surface of bodies of water.
 

beaker

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I've heard that the change from sea ice to water increases the likelihood of increased melt because of the change in colour from ice to water and the increased absorption of heat by water, and here is why the same effect holds on land as well.

Greenland Ice Sheet Melt Nearing Critical 'Tipping Point' | Climate Central

"The new findings show that the reflectivity of the Greenland ice sheet, particularly the high-elevation areas where snow typically accumulates year-round, have reached a record low since records began in 2000. This indicates that the ice sheet is absorbing more energy than normal, potentially leading to another record melt year — just two years after the 2010 record melt season."
 

beaker

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Is that the sloped sea ice?


You are really having trouble with this aren't you. Wow... An ocean facing slope under a land based glacier, would be one that has its start in the mountains, or just on high ground if you prefer, and the glacier travels down that slope towards that ocean. Its frontal face would then be towards the ocean. Thus an ocean facing slope. How ya doing so far?