Sea Level 'Fingerprint' , Confirms the Greenland Ice Sheet , Is Rapidly Melting.
NBC reports that scientists have found
unambiguous proof that a phenomenon
critical to predicting climate change exists.
On September 29, researchers announced
that they detected a sea level "fingerprint" left
by the melting of the Greenland ice sheet.
Scientists were able to pinpoint the unique
pattern of sea level change which has
previously been linked to melting ice.
NBC reports that it is the first time that such a fingerprint
has been measured and was made possible with
the help of high-resolution satellite observations.
Those fingerprints are then
applied to models used
to predict sea level rise.
These predictions allow scientists to better
understand the impact of climate change
and how to best prepare for future threats.
Sophie Coulson, a postdoctoral fellow at Los Alamos
National Laboratory and the lead author of the study, says
that the melting of the Greenland ice sheet is accelerating.
NBC reports that the Greenland ice sheet covers
approximately 80% of the country and
contains vast amounts of frozen water.
The team's findings were
published in the journal 'Science.'.
Currently, the rapid melting of the Greenland
ice sheet is believed to be responsible
for as much as 20% of global sea level rise