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Sustained mass loss of the northeast Greenland ice sheet triggered by regional warming

Author

Listed:
  • Shfaqat A. Khan

    (DTU Space, National Space Institute, Technical University of Denmark)

  • Kurt H. Kjær

    (Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen)

  • Michael Bevis

    (Geodetic Science, Ohio State University)

  • Jonathan L. Bamber

    (Bristol Glaciology Centre, University of Bristol)

  • John Wahr

    (University of Colorado)

  • Kristian K. Kjeldsen

    (Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen)

  • Anders A. Bjørk

    (Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen)

  • Niels J. Korsgaard

    (Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen)

  • Leigh A. Stearns

    (University of Kansas)

  • Michiel R. van den Broeke

    (Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research, Utrecht University)

  • Lin Liu

    (Stanford University)

  • Nicolaj K. Larsen

    (Aarhus University)

  • Ioana S. Muresan

    (DTU Space, National Space Institute, Technical University of Denmark)

Abstract

The Greenland ice sheet has been one of the largest contributors to global sea-level rise over the past 20 years, accounting for 0.5 mm yr−1 of a total of 3.2 mm yr−1. A significant portion of this contribution is associated with the speed-up of an increased number of glaciers in southeast and northwest Greenland. Here, we show that the northeast Greenland ice stream, which extends more than 600 km into the interior of the ice sheet, is now undergoing sustained dynamic thinning, linked to regional warming, after more than a quarter of a century of stability. This sector of the Greenland ice sheet is of particular interest, because the drainage basin area covers 16% of the ice sheet (twice that of Jakobshavn Isbræ) and numerical model predictions suggest no significant mass loss for this sector, leading to an under-estimation of future global sea-level rise. The geometry of the bedrock and monotonic trend in glacier speed-up and mass loss suggests that dynamic drawdown of ice in this region will continue in the near future.

Suggested Citation

  • Shfaqat A. Khan & Kurt H. Kjær & Michael Bevis & Jonathan L. Bamber & John Wahr & Kristian K. Kjeldsen & Anders A. Bjørk & Niels J. Korsgaard & Leigh A. Stearns & Michiel R. van den Broeke & Lin Liu &, 2014. "Sustained mass loss of the northeast Greenland ice sheet triggered by regional warming," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 4(4), pages 292-299, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcli:v:4:y:2014:i:4:d:10.1038_nclimate2161
    DOI: 10.1038/nclimate2161
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Yongyang Cai, 2020. "The Role of Uncertainty in Controlling Climate Change," Papers 2003.01615, arXiv.org, revised Oct 2020.
    2. Aslak Grinsted & Christine S. Hvidberg & David A. Lilien & Nicholas M. Rathmann & Nanna B. Karlsson & Tamara Gerber & Helle Astrid Kjær & Paul Vallelonga & Dorthe Dahl-Jensen, 2022. "Accelerating ice flow at the onset of the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-4, December.
    3. Caroline V. B. Gjelstrup & Mikael K. Sejr & Laura Steur & Jørgen Schou Christiansen & Mats A. Granskog & Boris P. Koch & Eva Friis Møller & Mie H. S. Winding & Colin A. Stedmon, 2022. "Vertical redistribution of principle water masses on the Northeast Greenland Shelf," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-12, December.
    4. Maureen McHenry & Paul Dunlop, 2016. "The subglacial imprint of the last Newfoundland Ice Sheet, Canada," Journal of Maps, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(3), pages 462-483, May.
    5. Daniela Jansen & Steven Franke & Catherine C. Bauer & Tobias Binder & Dorthe Dahl-Jensen & Jan Eichler & Olaf Eisen & Yuanbang Hu & Johanna Kerch & Maria-Gema Llorens & Heinrich Miller & Niklas Neckel, 2024. "Shear margins in upper half of Northeast Greenland Ice Stream were established two millennia ago," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    6. Fisher, Anthony, 2014. "Climate Science and Climate Economics," Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics, UC Berkeley, Working Paper Series qt746627gz, Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics, UC Berkeley.
    7. Fisher, A. C & Le, P. V, 2014. "Climate Policy: Science, Economics, and Extremes," Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics, UC Berkeley, Working Paper Series qt6tj3j4jb, Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics, UC Berkeley.
    8. Kyle S. Mattingly & Jenny V. Turton & Jonathan D. Wille & Brice Noël & Xavier Fettweis & Åsa K. Rennermalm & Thomas L. Mote, 2023. "Increasing extreme melt in northeast Greenland linked to foehn winds and atmospheric rivers," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.
    9. R. Millan & E. Jager & J. Mouginot & M. H. Wood & S. H. Larsen & P. Mathiot & N. C. Jourdain & A. Bjørk, 2023. "Rapid disintegration and weakening of ice shelves in North Greenland," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.

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