(Image Source: NASA.gov )


BY CHRISTIAN BRYANT

 


Ninety-seven percent of anything is a lot, no matter how you slice it. But in the case of Greenland’s surface ice, that percentage represents something NASA and other scientists are calling unprecedented.

NASA and scientists at several universities released data on Tuesday showing a significant amount of melted ice in the month of July. The image on the right is from July 8th, showing 40 percent of the surface ice melted. Just four days later, nearly 97 percent of the surface ice melted.

Scientists initially thought the data was incorrect. This information comes a week after news of an iceberg breaking off the Petermann Glacier in Greenland. As NBC reports, travelling onlookers got footage from a very interesting angle.

“The video captures the ice as it breaks off and cascades into the water. You can see the iceberg create gigantic waves.”

NASA says Greenland loses nearly half its surface ice every summer, but the recently recorded thawing is the most significant in 30 years. Speaking to The Huffington Post , NASA spokesperson Tom Wagner had this to say.

“...although this specific event may be part of a natural variation, ‘We have abundant evidence that Greenland is losing ice, probably because of global warming, and it's significantly contributing to sea level rise.’”

But an environment correspondent for The Telegraph makes the point that ice melt won’t cause a significant rise in sea levels but will make things difficult for one industry in particular.

“Greenland and Canadian governments are watching it closely because I suppose we know from the Titanic, most famously, icebergs can be a serious problem for shipping.”

Scientists say thermal expansion, another byproduct of warmer global temperatures and cause of rising sea levels, can increase threats of flooding in coastal communities.