Greenland Ice Sheet lost 20% more ice mass than thought

https://axios.com/greenland-ice-sheet-lost-20-times-more-mass

Scientists may have underestimated the amount of Greenland Ice Sheet melting since 1985 by as much as 20%, a new study found.

Such an underestimate of Greenland ice mass loss indicates a heightened risk of shifts in ocean currents and global weather patterns, the study notes.

To date, melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet is the biggest contributor to global sea level rise.

The study focuses on glacier calving retreat, which means ice lost at the edges where glaciers meet the sea.

According to the new research, published in the journal Nature, since 1985, the Greenland Ice Sheet has lost about 5,091 square kilometers (1,965 square miles) of area due to its retreating calving front, which amounts to about 1,034 gigatons of ice that has slid into the sea.

The study combines 236,328 manual and AI-generated observations of glacier terminus, or end, positions with a model to capture ice flow. The researchers used this to provide insights into the monthly aerial extents of the entire ice sheet between 1985 and 2022.