Greenland ice flow likely to speed up
Thursday, August 17, 2017 - 15:32
in Earth & Climate
Flow of the Greenland Ice Sheet is likely to speed up in the future, despite a recent slowdown, because its outlet glaciers slide over wet sediment, not hard rock, new research based on seismic surveys has confirmed. This sediment will become weaker and more slippery as global temperatures rise and meltwater supply becomes more variable. The findings challenge the view that the recent slowdowns in ice flow would continue in the long term.