Warming Atlantic Waters Threaten Previously Stable Greenland Glacier

Nature Communications, 19 April 2023

One of the previously most stable glaciers in Greenland is now retreating at an unprecedented rate, more than doubling the amount of ice it releases and flowing four times faster into the ocean since 2018. The Steenstrup glacier in southeastern Greenland was stable for decades, seemingly immune from rising temperatures, unlike many of its neighboring glaciers that were rapidly losing ice. Five years ago, an increase in warm Atlantic water near its base triggered a sudden destabilization, now placing it among the top 10% largest contributors to ice loss from Greenland. The Greenland Ice Sheet plays an essential role in balancing the global climate system. Most notably, it helps regulate the massive band of ocean currents that loop from the equator to the polar regions. Steenstrup’s dramatic retreat reveals that even long-term stable glaciers are susceptible to sudden and rapid retreat as rising ocean temperatures put increasing pressure on polar ice sheets.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-37764-7