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News From the Field

Lakes of Meltwater Can Crack Greenland's Ice and Contribute to Faster Ice Sheet Flow


April 17, 2008

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Researchers have for the first time documented the sudden and complete drainage of a lake of meltwater from the top of the Greenland ice sheet to its base. From those observations, scientists have uncovered a plumbing system for the ice sheet, where meltwater can penetrate thick, cold ice and accelerate some of the large-scale summer movements of the ice sheet.Full Story

Source
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

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