The Accelerating Threat of Glacier Melting and Sea Level Rise.
Researchers from the University of California, Irvine, and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory have discovered that the grounding line of the Petermann Glacier in northwest Greenland moves substantially with tidal cycles, allowing warm seawater to seep far underneath the glacier, accelerating ice melt. This revelation defies the traditional understanding that these grounding lines remain static during tidal cycles and are immune to melt. The team suggests that if these overlooked ice-ocean dynamics were accounted for in models, estimates of future sea level rise could double.