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July 7, 2006

Greenland's ice sheet - smaller than ever

The Greenland ice sheet reached a record in total melt extent in 2005.

June melting varies considerably from year to year, but so far the melting this June is looking quite similar, reports LiveScience.

A satellite image of the west coast of Greenland, taken by NASA's Terra satellite on June 26, shows the melt zone along the edge of the Greenland ice sheet.

Unlike the bright, uniform white of the ice farther inland, the melt zone appears in shades of gray when it is becoming saturated with water, and gray-blue melt ponds dot the fringes of the melt zone.

The ponds can cause even more destruction to the ice sheet. That's because as the water in the ponds works its way down to the base of the ice, it eases the friction between the ice and the underlying rock, allowing the ice to move toward the sea more quickly.

Glaciologists estimate that the melting of the Greenland ice sheet typically reaches its peak around July 20 each year.

If Greenland's ice sheet were to completely melt, it would raise world sea levels by several metres.

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