NASA Explains How Do Glaciers Melt

Space.com

Learn how glaciers melt and contribute to seas rising in this animated explainer from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.   Credit: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Transcript

00:00The sheet of ice that covers Greenland contains enough frozen water to raise oceans by 25

00:06feet across the globe.

00:08As the planet warms, glaciers melt, causing sea levels to rise.

00:12But not all of that melt happens at the surface.

00:16In the summertime, rivers and pools of meltwater find their way down through the glacier to

00:22the bed below.

00:23From there, the water runs beneath the glacier until it reaches the ocean.

00:27Because meltwater contains no salt, it weighs less than ocean water and rises up the front

00:33of the glacier in what scientists call a plume.

00:37Around Greenland, oceans are cold and fresh near the surface and warm and salty at depth.

00:42As the plume rises, it draws in the warm, salty water melting the glacier face from the bottom

00:48up.

00:49Eventually, a piece of the glacier breaks off, making an iceberg in a process known as calving.

00:57As the oceans warm, calving speeds up, causing glaciers to retreat and flow faster.

01:05Faster glaciers dump more ice into the oceans and drive sea levels higher across the globe.

01:10and truly overnight.

01:11Thank you, G.

01:12The spray is clearly SANDV is actually brat reverses us because we needed to Macho Cat toРИlla

01:17the western countries and have a beautiful earthüneино that wants to be delivered into부

01:20a whole 4-tertainable in the ocean.

01:21So you will see if you think of which other steps, prices can deepen ajust theses of the

01:23device.

01:24For this video, it will benefitå estimates and have aweis.

01:26This is very common theme, which return the

01:26last part to work.

01:28This is a big Mercy glaciers to rule out onto the nationalちゃん.

01:30A part to serve also to the south side where the storms and live based on our

01:31will提高 on the sea next level.

01:33G.

01:35The William Cherey Protest adds to the shore and to the ocean when we cast the ocean and

Category

Transcript

Recommended