Mineral Phosphorus Accelerates Surface Melt on the Greenland Ice Sheet

Nature Communications, January 25

Glacier ice algae blooms on the surface of the Greenland Ice Sheet form a dark layer of microbial growth that increases the amount of solar radiation the ice absorbs, melting it more rapidly. This phenomenon largely occurs on the southwest portion of the ice sheet, and is responsible for up to 13% of surface melting in this region. Phosphorus-containing minerals blown onto the ice from nearby exposed rock outcrops likely drive this algal growth by supplying this essential nutrient, and therefore serves as a contributing factor to ice sheet melting. As more bare rock becomes exposed by melting, this may provide a reinforcing feedback mechanism for additional algae growth and melting. The authors reiterate that the Greenland Ice Sheet is fast becoming the leading contributor to sea level rise.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-20627-w

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