Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Greenland Ice Sheet Melting at a Record Rate

Greenland (TGW) – The Greenland ice sheet melted at a record rate this year, according to a top climate scientist.

"The amount of ice lost by Greenland over the last year is the equivalent of two times all the ice in the Alps, or a layer of water more than one-half mile deep covering Washington DC," said Konrad Steffen of the University of Colorado at Boulder.

The extent of the melt area Steffen and his team measured was 10% greater than the last record year, 2005. 2005 was also the hottest year on record.

5% of the world’s ice is in Greenland – if it all melted, world sea levels would rise 21 feet.

Via :: Reuters

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