Watch Greenland lose 563 cubic miles of ice in under 30 seconds in disturbing new time-lapse video

Watch Greenland lose 563 cubic miles of ice in under 30 seconds in disturbing new time-lapse video

A striking new time-lapse video reveals the dramatic effects of climate change on the Greenland Ice Sheet. Spanning 13 years of ice melt condensed into just 30 seconds, the footage starkly illustrates the alarming speed at which this critical ice mass is vanishing.

Using satellite data from NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA), the video highlights the scale of the crisis. Between 2010 and 2023, Greenland lost an astonishing 563 cubic miles of ice—an amount large enough to fill Lake Victoria, Africa’s biggest lake. This massive ice loss is a major driver of rising sea levels, threatening coastal communities across the globe.

The study represents a milestone in scientific collaboration, combining radar data from ESA’s CryoSat-2 and laser measurements from NASA’s ICESat-2. Despite their differing methodologies, the datasets aligned remarkably well, offering an unprecedented level of accuracy in tracking changes to the ice sheet’s elevation.

The video also underscores the uneven impact of ice melt. The edges of Greenland’s ice sheet, especially around outlet glaciers, are bearing the brunt of the loss. For example, the Zachariae Isstrøm glacier experienced a staggering 246 feet of ice reduction during this period.

This sobering visual serves as a powerful reminder of the urgent need for action against climate change. The continued decline of the Greenland Ice Sheet carries profound consequences for global sea levels and coastal ecosystems. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions on a global scale is essential to slowing this crisis and minimizing its devastating effects.

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