A recently published study describes a 2014 event in which scientists observed something they had not even known was possible: a massive flood from a subglacial lake bursting through Greenland’s ice sheet.
This icy geyser wasn’t supposed to exist. At least not like this. While we’ve known about hidden lakes beneath Greenland’s ice for some time, this marks the first time we’ve seen one spontaneously blow its lid.
According to a new paper in Nature Geoscience, the 2014 event released 23 billion gallons of water in just ten days. That’s nine Niagara Fallses of meltwater rage hammering through the ice, turning the pristine sheet into a warped, fractured mess about twice the size of Central Park.
Greenland’s Ice Leaked 23 Billion Gallons of Water, Stunning Scientist
A 278-foot-deep crater suddenly appearing in Greenland isn’t something you expect to stumble across in satellite images casually. However, as the team delved into the data from NASA and the European Space Agency, it became apparent that a hidden lake beneath the ice had drained catastrophically, altering our understanding of Greenland’s future.
We thought we knew about how the ice sheet behaves, even when factoring in our worst-case climate models. Researchers used to believe that these subglacial expulsions were rare. This discovery is making them think twice. Perhaps these are more common than they previously thought.
Scientists now need to determine how frequently these hidden lakes drain and what chain reactions they may trigger across the already-threatened ice sheet. As the effects of global warming intensify, satellite data like this is crucial for building realistic projections and, ideally, preventing your coastal city from developing new beachfront property several miles inland.
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