The entire world saw a rise in sea levels due to the melting ice caps caused by global warming. And just a few days ago, a new study revealed that those glaciers in Greenland can now also contribute to the problem as they started melting off faster than scientists first thought.
A group of scientists from various parts of Canada, Denmark and Greenland has conducted a study regarding the alarming speed of melting ice sheets. One of the things the researchers found out is the porous layer called "firn" that is previously known to absorb melt water in order to stop it from flowing straight to the ocean that has already started collapsing. It is due to the massive amount of melt water that its sponge like ability can no longer take. And because of that, this firn layer had turned into solid ice and no longer absorbs or takes even just the slightest amount of liquid that comes from the melting Greenland glaciers.
The researchers added in their statement that the worsening condition of the global warming phenomenon might have caused the firn to go over the edge. According to Horst Macguth, a researcher at the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland and lead author of the study, their findings showed how the firn layer reacts when it goes through a bad stage of climate change. Their research also revealed that the firn's capability to absorb and hold large amount of ice water is not as strong as previously thought.
William Colgan, a professor from York University and study co-author, explained in his statement that even though the firn layer can fix and recreate itself through time, the melting of the glaciers in the area is much faster. Just a few days ago, thousands of new mini rivers and ponds were spotted all across the vast fields of ice. The scientists added that if the glaciers in Greenland melt completely, it would result into at least a 23 feet increase in seawater level.
