Greenland ice cracks are widening, potentially speeding the rise of global sea levels

[Skye Jacobs]

In context: A study on the Greenland Ice Sheet reveals alarming trends in crevasse formation, shedding new light on the potential acceleration of global sea level rise. The research provides insights into the widening of these massive ice fractures and their role in ice sheet melt.

Crevasses can reach over 300 feet in width, thousands of feet in length, and hundreds of feet in depth. Research led by glaciologist Thomas Chudley from Durham University shows that these cracks in the ice form crucial pathways for meltwater drainage within the ice sheet. The study's findings indicate that between 50 percent and 90 percent of the water flowing through the Greenland Ice Sheet travels via these cracks, significantly impacting the ice sheet's movement and stability.

"Understanding crevasses is a key to understanding how this discharge will evolve in the 21st century and beyond," Chudley said.

The research, recently published in Nature, used advanced three-dimensional imaging techniques to conduct the first-ever inventory of crevasses across the entire Greenland Ice Sheet. Using this approach, researchers created the most accurate estimate of crevasse volume, revealing a significant widening trend between 2016 and 2021.

"This is the first study to unequivocally say that the expansion of crevasse zones is ubiquitous across Greenland's outlet glaciers that have accelerated in recent years," William Colgan, a glaciology and climate professor with the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, told Inside Climate News.

As crevasses widen, they facilitate increased water flow to the ice sheet's base, potentially accelerating its movement and discharge into the ocean. This process creates a feedback loop – as glaciers speed up due to warming ocean temperatures, more crevasses form, further accelerating ice loss. This new understanding of crevasse dynamics has significant implications for ice sheet modeling. Current models may underestimate the melt rate and its contribution to sea level rise by not fully accounting for the impact of crevasses.

Furthermore, estimating Greenland's annual ice discharge is an intricate process involving several interconnected factors. Paradoxically, as glaciers withdraw from coastal areas, models predict a decrease in direct iceberg calving into the ocean, potentially slowing the rate at which melting icebergs contribute to rising sea levels. However, this coastal retreat introduces new complexities.

The ice sheet's edge becomes steeper as floating ice tongues recede landward, and increased melting at the lower margins erodes the ice sheet's foundation. This steepening creates additional stress on the ice sheet, exacerbating the formation and expansion of crevasses, as observed in Chudley's research.

The potential consequences of accelerated ice loss in Greenland are staggering. Current estimates suggest that if Greenland's ice were to melt completely, it would raise global sea levels by approximately 23 feet. While a complete meltdown will take thousands of years, the current melting rate could contribute about 3 feet to sea level rise by 2100.

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Greenland ice cracks are widening, potentially speeding the rise of global sea levels

 

[letsgoiowa]

I think a lot of these stats and numbers need real world examples of what to expect. If you say "the water will be 3 feet higher," most people will simply think ok, the beach will be a yard smaller.
If you say "this will obliterate these popular beaches entirely and destroy oceanfront properties," that makes people understand.

 

[passwordistaco]

I'm waiting for discounts on oceanfront property!

 

[NumberNine]

Come on TechSpot, leave something for CNN to run.

 

[umeng2002]

Okay, now rich people, sell your seafront property... I'm still waiting...

 

[ElmoTheReal]

So new mining spots for whoever?

 

[GodisanAtheist]

I'm waiting for discounts on oceanfront property!

-Lotta cheap land for you out in Arizona Bay...

 

[p51d007]

Put ice in a glass, fill it to the brim with water. As the water melts, will it overflow the glass? No, because the weight & volume of the ice will displace the water.
In other words, it's not going to raise the water level that much, if any.
Archimedes Principle.
In fact ice is almost 9% less dense than the water that forms it.
As a result ice floats.
Saltwater is a few percent more dense than freshwater due to the dissolved minerals, the “salts.” Icebergs that calve off from glaciers are almost pure freshwater, since the glaciers largely result from snowfall.
Thus freshwater icebergs rise even a little more than nine percent above the ocean surface.
This is the typical rule-of-thumb that icebergs are roughly ten percent above the surface and ninety percent below.
As icebergs melt and the water warms back into the “normal” ocean temperature range above 39 degrees F (4 degrees C) the density increases, reducing the volume.

 

[Antias]

Put ice in a glass, fill it to the brim with water. As the water melts, will it overflow the glass? No, because the weight & volume of the ice will displace the water.
In other words, it's not going to raise the water level that much, if any.
Archimedes Principle.
In fact ice is almost 9% less dense than the water that forms it.
As a result ice floats.
Saltwater is a few percent more dense than freshwater due to the dissolved minerals, the “salts.” Icebergs that calve off from glaciers are almost pure freshwater, since the glaciers largely result from snowfall.
Thus freshwater icebergs rise even a little more than nine percent above the ocean surface.
This is the typical rule-of-thumb that icebergs are roughly ten percent above the surface and ninety percent below.
As icebergs melt and the water warms back into the “normal” ocean temperature range above 39 degrees F (4 degrees C) the density increases, reducing the volume.

While I agree mostly with what you've said concerning your example only, you've made 1 tiny error...
Fill the glass to the brim THEN put the ice in... Most of the glaciers in question are above current water levels...
Also, based solely on what you've stated, the geographical evidence that sea levels have been much higher (and conversly much lower) in vastly seperate epochs throughout earths history wouldn't have happened... So where is the disparity?

 

[BadThad]

It's a good opportunity for scientists to study this natural process but no need to be Chicken Little.

 

[Watzupken]

Why worry about the ice melting and increasing sea level when people are dumping way more crap into the sea? Won't these trash increase water level since they never belong there to begin with. Then you have more "genius" building more things underwater. Pipes, cables, data centers, whatnot. So is the melting ice the real risk?

 

[texasrattler]

Why worry about the ice melting and increasing sea level when people are dumping way more crap into the sea? Won't these trash increase water level since they never belong there to begin with. Then you have more "genius" building more things underwater. Pipes, cables, data centers, whatnot. So is the melting ice the real risk?

Risk for natural flooding. The other stuff would be unatural, may cause other things but not flooding.

Rise of sea water also plays factor in the weather which again cause natual flooding.

 

[Watzupken]

Risk for natural flooding. The other stuff would be unatural, may cause other things but not flooding.

Rise of sea water also plays factor in the weather which again cause natual flooding.

I get the risk of rising sea water. But is melting ice the main contributor? Or someone have us believe that the melting ice is the main contributor, so that they can continue "throwing" stuffs into the sea and evade being called out?

 

[scavengerspc]

Put ice in a glass, fill it to the brim with water. As the water melts, will it overflow the glass? No, because the weight & volume of the ice will displace the water.
In other words, it's not going to raise the water level that much, if any.
Archimedes Principle.

Thankfully, at least he was smart enough, like most of us, to know when not to apply it, like when a huge swath of ice can be miles deep over a land mass. Not floating on water.

"In other words". Place a full glass of water on a table. Then place an ice cube just above it in a funnel pointed at the glass and let it melt.

It doesn't take much thought, but guess what happens next.

Land vs sea ice - Energy Education

energyeducation.ca

"Glaciers are land ice. Which can become sea ice when chunks of ice that break off and fall into the ocean and become icebergs"

 

[pnntmp]

OMG please ... potentially speeding the rise of global sea levels

The climate cult failed, guys. Please stop spreading climate hysteria. Islands and coastal areas were supposed to be underwater many years ago, according to 'models'. Yet here they are, without a scratch.

Find something else ... like asteroids ... Nibiru ... Planet X (unless it's the same as Nibiru, not sure)

 

[toooooot]

Netflix, can we have a horror movie about widening cracks in Greenland's ice?
If we need to suffer through Netflix trash tier movies, at least make them entertaining.

 

[toooooot]

Why worry about the ice melting and increasing sea level when people are dumping way more crap into the sea? Won't these trash increase water level since they never belong there to begin with. Then you have more "genius" building more things underwater. Pipes, cables, data centers, whatnot. So is the melting ice the real risk?

"s of the most recent data, China is often cited as the country that contributes the most plastic waste to the ocean."
It is long overdue; we need to part our ways with this country despite the investments our rich citizens made into its economy trying to delay the inevitable as it is always with dictatorships.
How the heck do we save the planet at the same time when biggest country on earth literally does not have garbage dumps except our beautiful seas?

 

[Liranan]

OMG please ... potentially speeding the rise of global sea levels

The climate cult failed, guys. Please stop spreading climate hysteria. Islands and coastal areas were supposed to be underwater many years ago, according to 'models'. Yet here they are, without a scratch.

Find something else ... like asteroids ... Nibiru ... Planet X (unless it's the same as Nibiru, not sure)

We've heard "We're going to die in 10 years if we don't stop breathing!" since the 60's and it hasn't happened but it's always lead to higher taxes on the poor. This climate cult is anti humanist and another leftist plot to depopulate the planet.

"Ignore Coca Cola producing 200 thousand disposable bottles per minute and the 9 litres of drinkable water they waste for every litre of Coke they produce but ban cows! And definitely don't look why it's that very Coca Cola who funds these initiatives!!!"

 

[GodisanAtheist]

Put ice in a glass, fill it to the brim with water. As the water melts, will it overflow the glass? No, because the weight & volume of the ice will displace the water.
In other words, it's not going to raise the water level that much, if any.
Archimedes Principle.
In fact ice is almost 9% less dense than the water that forms it.
As a result ice floats.
Saltwater is a few percent more dense than freshwater due to the dissolved minerals, the “salts.” Icebergs that calve off from glaciers are almost pure freshwater, since the glaciers largely result from snowfall.
Thus freshwater icebergs rise even a little more than nine percent above the ocean surface.
This is the typical rule-of-thumb that icebergs are roughly ten percent above the surface and ninety percent below.
As icebergs melt and the water warms back into the “normal” ocean temperature range above 39 degrees F (4 degrees C) the density increases, reducing the volume.

- The issue isn't sea ice, the issue is landlocked ice that is sitting on the island of Greenland (and on the continent of Antarctica).

Also wonder how that melted ice would affect plate tectonics, since the weight of that ice is pushing the Greenland plate down, when it melts and the Greenland plate actually rises a tiny bit, what effects will that have...

 

[AnilD]

The fact that retreating glaciers might slow iceberg calving but still accelerate overall ice loss is such a fascinating paradox. It really underscores how complex the relationship between ice sheets and the ocean is—just because we see fewer icebergs breaking off doesn’t mean the problem is getting better. If anything, it’s a shift in how the ice is disappearing, not whether it is.

 

[scavengerspc]

The fact that retreating glaciers might slow iceberg calving but still accelerate overall ice loss is such a fascinating paradox. It really underscores how complex the relationship between ice sheets and the ocean is—just because we see fewer icebergs breaking off doesn’t mean the problem is getting better. If anything, it’s a shift in how the ice is disappearing, not whether it is.

Im just speculating of course, but it does seem that the accelerated melting of the glaciers is thinning the ice so much that there is not near as much weight to even cause as many breaks as in the past. Not to mention that expanding and normal movement of the glaciers has always caused breaks that fall in the ocean. So I'm not even sure we have a baseline.

It is frustrating that we can't come together on this, but it's important to keep in mind we are dealing with folks that didn't even realize that polar ice on land is a thing.