Significant regions of Greenland are seeing a rise in vegetation as a result of the ice sheet melting, raising the possibility of problems including increasing sea levels, higher greenhouse gas emissions, and unstable terrain. Large ice-covered areas have changed into marshes, shrub growth, and bare rock, according to a research conducted between the 1980s and the present.

A study conducted since the 1980s has recorded significant changes, revealing that extensive ice-covered areas have been transformed into barren rock, wetlands, and shrub growth. This transformation is bringing about a noticeable shift in the environment.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/global-warming-has-upped-greenland-glacier-melting-five-folds-in-20-years-657471">Global warming has upped Greenland glacier melting five-folds in 20 years</a>

Satellite records analysis indicates that in the last thirty years, approximately 11,000 square miles of Greenland's ice sheet and glaciers have melted. This area is comparable to the size of Albania and represents 1.6% of the total ice cover in Greenland.

The amount of land covered by vegetation has increased by 33,774 square miles as a result of the ice retreating. This expansion covers an area that is more than twice as large as it did when the study first started. 
 
The results indicate that wetlands, a source of methane emissions, are nearly quadrupling throughout Greenland.

According to scientists, the ice is receding due to rising air temperatures; during the 1970s, the area has warmed up twice as quickly as the rest of the world. The average yearly air temperature on Greenland from 2007 to 2012 was 3C higher than the average from 1979 to 2000.

Watch:&nbsp;Northern Greenland's ice shelves are receding

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The results show indications that additional ice loss is being caused by the growing vegetation.

The report's lead author, Dr. Michael Grimes, stated, "The flow of sediments and nutrients into coastal seas is being considerably altered by the expansion of vegetation, which is happening in tandem with the retreat of glaciers and the ice sheet."

Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/science/greenlands-three-ice-shelves-collapse-it-now-has-only-five-out-of-eight-ice-shelves-656321" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/science/greenlands-three-ice-shelves-collapse-it-now-has-only-five-out-of-eight-ice-shelves-656321&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjxloKFxqiEAxX2cmwGHSTdBHAQFnoECAMQAg&amp;usg=AOvVaw0fkSnxmKWIUdhE7lDB0qjz" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/science/greenlands-three-ice-shelves-collapse-it-now-has-only-five-out-of-eight-ice-shelves-656321" target="_blank">Three of eight ice shelves in&nbsp;Greenland&nbsp;have collapsed</a>

Dr. Grimes emphasised the significance of these changes, especially for Indigenous populations whose traditional subsistence hunting practices depend on the stability of these fragile ecosystems. Additionally, the loss of ice mass in Greenland plays a substantial role in contributing to global sea level rise, presenting significant challenges both in the present and for the future.

In order to keep an eye on the situation, the researchers have utilized their data to create a model that will identify Greenland regions that are most likely to undergo marked and fast change in the future.

(With inputs from agencies)

Significant regions of Greenland are seeing a rise in vegetation as a result of the ice sheet melting, raising the possibility of problems including increasing sea levels, higher greenhouse gas emissions, and unstable terrain.

Significant regions of Greenland are seeing a rise in vegetation as a result of the ice sheet melting, raising the possibility of problems including increasing sea levels, higher greenhouse gas emissions, and unstable terrain. Large ice-covered areas have changed into marshes, shrub growth, and bare rock, according to a research conducted between the 1980s and the present. A study conducted since the 1980s has recorded significant changes, revealing that extensive ice-covered areas have been transformed into barren rock, wetlands, and shrub growth. This transformation is bringing about a noticeable shift in the environment. Also read: Global warming has upped Greenland glacier melting five-folds in 20 years Satellite records analysis indicates that in the last thirty years, approximately 11,000 square miles of Greenland's ice sheet and glaciers have melted. This area is comparable to the size of Albania and represents 1.6% of the total ice cover in Greenland. The amount of land covered by vegetation has increased by 33,774 square miles as a result of the ice retreating. This expansion covers an area that is more than twice as large as it did when the study first started. The results indicate that wetlands, a source of methane emissions, are nearly quadrupling throughout Greenland. According to scientists, the ice is receding due to rising air temperatures; during the 1970s, the area has warmed up twice as quickly as the rest of the world. The average yearly air temperature on Greenland from 2007 to 2012 was 3C higher than the average from 1979 to 2000. Watch: Northern Greenland's ice shelves are receding × The results show indications that additional ice loss is being caused by the growing vegetation. The report's lead author, Dr. Michael Grimes, stated, "The flow of sediments and nutrients into coastal seas is being considerably altered by the expansion of vegetation, which is happening in tandem with the retreat of glaciers and the ice sheet." Also read: Three of eight ice shelves in Greenland have collapsed Dr. Grimes emphasised the significance of these changes, especially for Indigenous populations whose traditional subsistence hunting practices depend on the stability of these fragile ecosystems. Additionally, the loss of ice mass in Greenland plays a substantial role in contributing to global sea level rise, presenting significant challenges both in the present and for the future. In order to keep an eye on the situation, the researchers have utilized their data to create a model that will identify Greenland regions that are most likely to undergo marked and fast change in the future. (With inputs from agencies)

Climate experts warn of concerns arising from robust plant growth on Greenland ice sheet

Greenland was once home to the forests of poplar and birch trees with its edges housing warm coastal waters filled with crabs and aquatic diversity, the world's oldest DNA discovery to date&nbsp;revealed.&nbsp;

The study said that the&nbsp;ecosystem reconstructed from DNA discovery has "no modern analogue".&nbsp;

The genetic material dates back to at least two million years ago, nearly twice as old as the previously known oldest DNA discovered in Siberia.

WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/mammoths-oldest-dna-found-in-eastern-siberia-364475">Mammoth's Oldest DNA found in eastern Siberia</a>

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The finding was published in the Nature journal, offering an extraordinary look at an extraordinary ancient ecosystem.

Together, they show that a region just 600 miles from the North Pole was also home to caribou and Arctic hares. Whereas the warm coastal waters were filled with horseshoe crabs, a species that today cannot be found any farther north of Maine.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/seven-million-year-old-human-bone-leads-to-an-amazing-discovery-510101">Seven million year old human bone leads to an amazing discovery</a>

Independent experts have hailed the study as a major advance.

"You not only see DNA from a single organism, it's in fact DNA from an entire ecosystem," Professor Willerslev of the University of Cambridge told ABC News.&nbsp;

“It feels almost magical to be able to infer such a complete picture of an ancient ecosystem from tiny fragments of preserved DNA,” Beth Shapiro, a paleogeneticist at the University of California, Santa Cruz, was quoted as saying by New York Times.

Far from its one green past, Greenland at present receives next to no rainfall and supports very little life apart from mosses, lichens and the occasional Arctic hare or musk ox scrabbling on the bare slopes.

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Greenland was once home to the forests of poplar and birch trees with its edges housing warm coastal waters filled with crabs and aquatic diversity, the world's oldest DNA discovery to date revealed.

Greenland was once home to the forests of poplar and birch trees with its edges housing warm coastal waters filled with crabs and aquatic diversity, the world's oldest DNA discovery to date revealed. The study said that the ecosystem reconstructed from DNA discovery has "no modern analogue". The genetic material dates back to at least two million years ago, nearly twice as old as the previously known oldest DNA discovered in Siberia. WATCH | Mammoth's Oldest DNA found in eastern Siberia × The finding was published in the Nature journal, offering an extraordinary look at an extraordinary ancient ecosystem. Together, they show that a region just 600 miles from the North Pole was also home to caribou and Arctic hares. Whereas the warm coastal waters were filled with horseshoe crabs, a species that today cannot be found any farther north of Maine. ALSO READ | Seven million year old human bone leads to an amazing discovery Independent experts have hailed the study as a major advance. "You not only see DNA from a single organism, it's in fact DNA from an entire ecosystem," Professor Willerslev of the University of Cambridge told ABC News. “It feels almost magical to be able to infer such a complete picture of an ancient ecosystem from tiny fragments of preserved DNA,” Beth Shapiro, a paleogeneticist at the University of California, Santa Cruz, was quoted as saying by New York Times. Far from its one green past, Greenland at present receives next to no rainfall and supports very little life apart from mosses, lichens and the occasional Arctic hare or musk ox scrabbling on the bare slopes. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Greenland was once as green as its name, oldest DNA discovery reveals

A study published on Monday says that Greenland’s rapidly melting ice sheet will raise global sea level by around a foot, even if the greenhouse gas emissions, a leading cause of climate change, end overnight. The ice sheet will lose about 3.3% of its total volume by 2100, which is a whopping 110 trillion metric tons of ice, raising the sea levels by 27 centimetres. That is more than twice as much as previously forecast, the study says.&nbsp;

Professor Jason Box from the National Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (Geus), who led the research, says, “It is a very conservative rock-bottom minimum. Realistically, we will see this figure more than double within this century.”

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/billionaires-fund-a-massive-treasure-hunt-in-greenland-heres-why-505310">Billionaires fund a massive treasure hunt in Greenland. Here's why</a>

The study was published in the journal Nature Climate Change and says that continued carbon emissions, the melting of other ice caps and thermal expansion of the ocean create an inevitable scenario of a multi-metre sea-level rise. Last year, an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report had projected a range of two to five inches (6 to 13 centimeters) of a rise in sea level rise from Greenland ice melt by the year 2100.

While previous studies have used computer models to understand ice cap behaviour, the latest study used satellite measurements of ice losses from Greenland and the shape of the ice cap from 2000-19. The scientists studied ice in balance in terms of how much snowfall is happening and how much ice is melting. In perfect conditions, snowfall thickens the sides of the glaciers and balance out what is melting from the edges.

However, the problem now is that not enough replenishment is happening while more ice is melting, thus creating an imbalance.&nbsp;

Billions of people live in coastal regions and are at risk of flooding due to rising sea levels. If Greenland’s record melt year of 2012 becomes a routine occurrence later this century, then the ice cap will deliver a “staggering” 78 centimetre of sea-level rise, the scientists said.

(With inputs from agencies)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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A study published on Monday says that Greenland’s rapidly melting ice sheet will raise global sea level by around a foot, even if the greenhouse gas emissions, a leading cause of climate change, end overnight.

A study published on Monday says that Greenland’s rapidly melting ice sheet will raise global sea level by around a foot, even if the greenhouse gas emissions, a leading cause of climate change, end overnight. The ice sheet will lose about 3.3% of its total volume by 2100, which is a whopping 110 trillion metric tons of ice, raising the sea levels by 27 centimetres. That is more than twice as much as previously forecast, the study says. Professor Jason Box from the National Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (Geus), who led the research, says, “It is a very conservative rock-bottom minimum. Realistically, we will see this figure more than double within this century.” Also Read | Billionaires fund a massive treasure hunt in Greenland. Here's why The study was published in the journal Nature Climate Change and says that continued carbon emissions, the melting of other ice caps and thermal expansion of the ocean create an inevitable scenario of a multi-metre sea-level rise. Last year, an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report had projected a range of two to five inches (6 to 13 centimeters) of a rise in sea level rise from Greenland ice melt by the year 2100. While previous studies have used computer models to understand ice cap behaviour, the latest study used satellite measurements of ice losses from Greenland and the shape of the ice cap from 2000-19. The scientists studied ice in balance in terms of how much snowfall is happening and how much ice is melting. In perfect conditions, snowfall thickens the sides of the glaciers and balance out what is melting from the edges. However, the problem now is that not enough replenishment is happening while more ice is melting, thus creating an imbalance. Billions of people live in coastal regions and are at risk of flooding due to rising sea levels. If Greenland’s record melt year of 2012 becomes a routine occurrence later this century, then the ice cap will deliver a “staggering” 78 centimetre of sea-level rise, the scientists said. (With inputs from agencies)

Greenland ice sheet melt will raise sea levels by 27 centimetres, new study says

Scientists recently found plants beneath ice in Greenland, essentially rewriting what we know about previous warming periods in Earth's history. The discovery of plants beneath ice reveals that the region underwent melting at a scale similar to what's happening right now.

Within the last million years, the region underwent melting, similar to what we have done to the planet, or as scientists call it - climate change.

The plants which were discovered recently have a long history though. A group of US Army scientists drilled down ice in northwestern Greenland in 1966. They then extracted a long tube of dirt from the bottom.

Lost in a freezer for decades, the tube was rediscovered in 2017. Soon after in 2019, University of Vermont’s scientist Andrew Christ observed the remains closely under a microscope and found that twigs and leaves were growing in the tube, as opposed to just sand and rock.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/pentagon-wants-to-develop-ready-to-use-jetpacks-for-us-defence-forces-370796" hreflang="en">Pentagon wants to develop ready-to-use jetpacks for US defence forces</a>

Through this, Christ ascertained that greenery and vegetation have thrived in Greenland in the past, perhaps caused by warming cycles like the one happening right now.

With a team of scientists led by Joerg Schaefer from Columbia University, along with University of Copenhagen’s Dorthe Dahl-Jense, and Paul Bierman at UVM, it was found that most, if not all, of Greenland was green within the last million years.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/do-gigantic-stars-from-the-past-hold-secrets-to-black-holes-scientists-say-so-370499" hreflang="en">Do gigantic stars from the past hold secrets to black holes? Scientists say so!</a>

It is possible that greenery flourished in Greenland even in the last few hundred-thousand years. Christ referred to the remains in the discovery as a “time capsule”, and a sneak-peek into what used to live on Greenland.

This discovery could help scientists understand climate change, and how Greenland will respond to global warming in the near future. It could also help scientists predict how long it would take for the ice to melt.

Scientists recently found plants beneath ice in Greenland, essentially rewriting what we know about previous warming periods in Earth's history. The discovery of plants beneath ice reveals that the region underwent melting at a scale similar to what's happening right now.

Scientists recently found plants beneath ice in Greenland, essentially rewriting what we know about previous warming periods in Earth's history. The discovery of plants beneath ice reveals that the region underwent melting at a scale similar to what's happening right now. Within the last million years, the region underwent melting, similar to what we have done to the planet, or as scientists call it - climate change. The plants which were discovered recently have a long history though. A group of US Army scientists drilled down ice in northwestern Greenland in 1966. They then extracted a long tube of dirt from the bottom. Lost in a freezer for decades, the tube was rediscovered in 2017. Soon after in 2019, University of Vermont’s scientist Andrew Christ observed the remains closely under a microscope and found that twigs and leaves were growing in the tube, as opposed to just sand and rock. Also read: Pentagon wants to develop ready-to-use jetpacks for US defence forces Through this, Christ ascertained that greenery and vegetation have thrived in Greenland in the past, perhaps caused by warming cycles like the one happening right now. With a team of scientists led by Joerg Schaefer from Columbia University, along with University of Copenhagen’s Dorthe Dahl-Jense, and Paul Bierman at UVM, it was found that most, if not all, of Greenland was green within the last million years. Also read: Do gigantic stars from the past hold secrets to black holes? Scientists say so! It is possible that greenery flourished in Greenland even in the last few hundred-thousand years. Christ referred to the remains in the discovery as a “time capsule”, and a sneak-peek into what used to live on Greenland. This discovery could help scientists understand climate change, and how Greenland will respond to global warming in the near future. It could also help scientists predict how long it would take for the ice to melt.

Scientists discover plants buried deep beneath Greenland's ice sheet. What does this mean?

The three largest glaciers in Greenland — which hold enough frozen water to lift global sea levels some 1.3 metres — could melt faster than even the worst-case warming predictions, research published Tuesday showed.

Until 2000, the main driver of sea level rise was melting glaciers and the expansion of ocean water as it warms.

But over the last two decades, the world's ice sheets atop Greenland and Antarctica have become the single largest source of sea level rise.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/coronavirus-mutations-appearing-in-siberia-russian-scientists-343820" hreflang="en">Coronavirus mutations appearing in Siberia: Russian scientists</a>

A team of researchers based in Denmark and Britain used historical images and a host of other data to estimate how much ice had been lost from Greenland's Jakobshavn Isbrae, Kangerlussuaq Glacier and Helheim Glaciers in the 20th century.

They found that Jakobshavn Isbrae lost more than 1.5 trillion tonnes of ice between 1880-2012, while Kangerlussuaq and Helheim lost 1.4 trillion and 31 billion tonnes from 1900–2012, respectively.&nbsp;

The ice melt has already contributed more than eight millimetres to global sea levels, the researchers wrote.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/could-listening-to-the-deep-sea-help-save-it-343549" hreflang="en">Could listening to the deep sea help save it?</a>

Shfaqat Abbas Khan, a researcher at the Technical University of Denmark, said using photographs taken before the satellite era was another tool to help recreate the last century's ice loss.

"Historical measurements over the 19th and 20th century may hide important information that can significantly improve our future projections," he told AFP.

The UN's climate science advisory panel, the IPCC, has forecast sea level rise from all sources of between 30-110 centimetres by 2100, depending on emissions.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/unusual-electron-to-reveal-insight-into-dark-matter-space-time-mysteries-343473" hreflang="en">Unusual 'electron' to reveal insight into dark matter, space-time mysteries</a>

Under the IPCC's high emissions pathway, known as RCP8.5, nothing is done to curb carbon pollution throughout the 21st century, leading to a climate more than 3C hotter than pre-Industrial levels.

Models ran under RCP8.5 for the three glaciers featured in Tuesday's study predict a sea-level rise of 9.1–14.9mm by 2100.

But the paper, published in Nature Communications, pointed out that the high-emissions pathway temperature increase was more than four times larger than during the 20th century when the three glaciers already added 8mm to seas.

"The worst-case scenario is underestimated. Ice loss may be anywhere from three or four times larger than previous predicted for the thee glaciers considered in this study," said Khan.

A Nature study published in September found that if greenhouse gas emissions continued unabated, ice sheets in Greenland will shed some 36 trillion tonnes this century, enough to lift the global waterline some 10 centimetres.

The three largest glaciers in Greenland — which hold enough frozen water to lift global sea levels some 1.3 metres — could melt faster than even the worst-case warming predictions, research published Tuesday showed.

The three largest glaciers in Greenland — which hold enough frozen water to lift global sea levels some 1.3 metres — could melt faster than even the worst-case warming predictions, research published Tuesday showed. Until 2000, the main driver of sea level rise was melting glaciers and the expansion of ocean water as it warms. But over the last two decades, the world's ice sheets atop Greenland and Antarctica have become the single largest source of sea level rise. Also read| Coronavirus mutations appearing in Siberia: Russian scientists A team of researchers based in Denmark and Britain used historical images and a host of other data to estimate how much ice had been lost from Greenland's Jakobshavn Isbrae, Kangerlussuaq Glacier and Helheim Glaciers in the 20th century. They found that Jakobshavn Isbrae lost more than 1.5 trillion tonnes of ice between 1880-2012, while Kangerlussuaq and Helheim lost 1.4 trillion and 31 billion tonnes from 1900–2012, respectively. The ice melt has already contributed more than eight millimetres to global sea levels, the researchers wrote. Also read| Could listening to the deep sea help save it? Shfaqat Abbas Khan, a researcher at the Technical University of Denmark, said using photographs taken before the satellite era was another tool to help recreate the last century's ice loss. "Historical measurements over the 19th and 20th century may hide important information that can significantly improve our future projections," he told AFP. The UN's climate science advisory panel, the IPCC, has forecast sea level rise from all sources of between 30-110 centimetres by 2100, depending on emissions. Also read| Unusual 'electron' to reveal insight into dark matter, space-time mysteries Under the IPCC's high emissions pathway, known as RCP8.5, nothing is done to curb carbon pollution throughout the 21st century, leading to a climate more than 3C hotter than pre-Industrial levels. Models ran under RCP8.5 for the three glaciers featured in Tuesday's study predict a sea-level rise of 9.1–14.9mm by 2100. But the paper, published in Nature Communications, pointed out that the high-emissions pathway temperature increase was more than four times larger than during the 20th century when the three glaciers already added 8mm to seas. "The worst-case scenario is underestimated. Ice loss may be anywhere from three or four times larger than previous predicted for the thee glaciers considered in this study," said Khan. A Nature study published in September found that if greenhouse gas emissions continued unabated, ice sheets in Greenland will shed some 36 trillion tonnes this century, enough to lift the global waterline some 10 centimetres.

Greenland's largest glaciers likely to melt faster than feared: Study

Greenland's ice sheet may have shrunk past the point of return, with the ice likely to melt away no matter how quickly the world reduces climate-warming emissions

Greenland's ice sheet melting has passed the point of no return