Glacial melt picks up speed

The melting Sermeq glacier located about 80km south of Nuuk, Greenland, last Saturday.

According to a study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters last month, when ice sheets and glaciers melt throughout the world and water is redistributed to global seas, the Earth's crust is released from the overlaying weight and lifts.

Recent research also shows that the rate at which glaciers are melting has doubled over the past two decades, considerably quicker than previously thought or recorded.

Experts say the melting global glaciers are one of the most immediate effects of a warming world and a major marker of climate change.

Although the scientists did not investigate the source of glacier melting, they noted that locations where glaciers shrank experienced changes in long-term precipitation and temperature, which are consistent with climate change.

By estimating glacial melt rates, the study's authors expect to make more precise forecasts for the rise in sea level and water management.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on September 14, 2021, with the headline Glacial melt picks up speed. Subscribe