xpost: Team finds subtropical waters flushing through Greenland fjord

[phantom power]

Waters from warmer latitudes — or subtropical waters — are reaching Greenland's glaciers, driving melting and likely triggering an acceleration of ice loss, reports a team of researchers led by Fiamma Straneo, a physical oceanographer from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI).

"This is the first time we’ve seen waters this warm in any of the fjords in Greenland," says Straneo. "The subtropical waters are flowing through the fjord very quickly, so they can transport heat and drive melting at the end of the glacier."

Greenland's ice sheet, which is two-miles thick and covers an area about the size of Mexico, has lost mass at an accelerated rate over the last decade. The ice sheet's contribution to sea level rise during that time frame doubled due to increased melting and, to a greater extent, the widespread acceleration of outlet glaciers around Greenland.

While melting due to warming air temperatures is a known event, scientists are just beginning to learn more about the ocean's impact — in particular, the influence of currents — on the ice sheet.

-snip-

Deep inside the Sermilik Fjord, researchers found subtropical water as warm as 39 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius). The team also reconstructed seasonal temperatures on the shelf using data collected by 19 hooded seals tagged with satellite-linked temperature depth-recorders. The data revealed that the shelf waters warm from July to December, and that subtropical waters are present on the shelf year round.

-snip-

Funding for this research was provided by the National Science Foundation, WHOI's Ocean and Climate Change Institute Arctic Research Initiative, and NASA’s Cryosperic Sciences Program.

http://www.whoi.edu/page.do?pid=7545&tid=282&cid=69134&ct=162
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=7739404&mesg_id=7739404

[Warpy]

1. That was actually on NOVA this week

The team studying the glaciers took samples of water at various depths and found that the heavier salt water contained organisms found in tropical currents and its warmth is contributing to accelerated glacial retreat.

If this NOVA is repeated, do catch it. Some of the film was absolutely stunning, especially the film of a 20+ foot deep melt lake disappearing within 40 minutes.

[phantom power]

2. I think I would like to see that.

Busy watching the olympics this week.

[Arkansas Granny]

3. It was a fascinating program. You can watch it online.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/extremeice/program.html