Accelerating Ice Loss From Peripheral Glaciers in North Greenland

Area of Science:

• Glaciology
• Climate Science
• Earth System Science

Background:

• Greenland's peripheral glaciers, though small in area (4% of ice cover), exhibit disproportionately large mass loss.
• This mass loss significantly contributes to global sea level rise, posing a growing concern.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the recent mass loss trends of Greenland's peripheral glaciers.
• To assess their contribution to overall Greenland ice loss and global sea level rise.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing satellite altimetry data from Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) and ICESat-2.
• Analyzing mass loss rates from February 2003 to December 2021.

Main Results:

• Mass loss from peripheral glaciers increased from 27.2 ± 6.2 Gt/yr (2003-2009) to 42.3 ± 6.2 Gt/yr (2018-2021).
• These glaciers now represent 11 ± 2% of Greenland's ice loss, with a fourfold increase in North Greenland mass loss (2018-2021).
• Regional variations show increased high-altitude precipitation partially offsetting low-altitude melt.

Conclusions:

• Greenland's peripheral glaciers are a critical and growing contributor to sea level rise.
• Understanding regional dynamics is crucial for accurate sea level rise projections.