Rocks raise questions about Greenland ice sheet stability

A new study showing that Greenland ice disappeared during periods in the Earth’s history has implications for the rate of melting and projected sea level rise.

Dr Lauren Gregoire, an ice sheet modeller with the School of Earth and Environment, is quoted in this story for InsideClimate News, which highlights the research by paleoclimatologist  Joerg Schaefer published in Nature. It reveals that rocks in the middle of Greenland, now buried under 10,000 ft of ice, were once ice-free, raising questions about the stability of the ice sheet.

“It’s definitely relevant to what’s going to happen in the future,” said Dr Gregoire. “It’s going to tell us the magnitude of sea level change … but not how fast.”