Greenland is melting

As many as 97 percent of the surface of Greenland melts - it is said the U.S. space agency Nasa. The proportions are higher than in the past 30 years that the agency follows the melting of the island via satellite.

The data come from three different satellites, which are studied and university stručnajci Our experts. During the summer, with average temperatures melt about half ice layers in Greenland. But for the most part the ice is not disappearing: At high altitudes the main part of the water quickly frozen in ice near the shore of a barrier preventing the swelling of surface water into the ocean.

Unusually warm weather

According to satellite imagery, dissolved in a few days is about 97 percent of the surface layer of ice. The data seemed so unreal, that scientists at first thought it was a mistake. Measuring instruments on satellites have checked the results, when they were confirmed by the high temperature above the ice surface. Unusually warm air layer could be the cause of the extremely strong warming.

"People began to notice that it is incredibly hot in the coastal areas. Still can not see the ice melt. But if you look at these landscapes, they will be covered with snow and now we know that there is water between the snow particles. It is only the upper region. In the lower regions is melting more and thus create rivers and lakes, "says Thomas Wagner, Our scientist from Washington, which sees the main reason for the high temperatures.

Greenland is not going away?

Thomas Wagner points out that melting of the Greenland ice layer has a significant impact on the sea and the environment: "Greenland is losing huge amounts of ice. Global sea level rises about three millimeter per year, less than half a millimeter comes from Greenland. This is probably caused by warming oceans around the island. There is not only about the surface layer, and we think this is probably a natural change. Of course, if such a drastic warming is repeated, then we will be concerned, "says Wagner.