Greenland, known for its massive ice sheet and breathtaking landscapes, is experiencing a unique phenomenon that is adding new land masses to its seas. Despite the rising oceans, the bedrock in Greenland is actually elevating at a faster rate, resulting in the creation of new land formations.
One such landmass is Uunartoq Qeqertaq, a 13-kilometer long piece of land off the east coast of Greenland. It was officially recognized and added to Greenland’s maps in 2005. This discovery has sparked curiosity among scientists, who are now trying to understand the processes behind this uplift.
Recent data from GPS stations reveals that Greenland’s bedrock has risen by up to 20 centimeters in the last decade alone. That’s a rate of about 2 meters per century. This remarkable rise is predominantly due to the glaciers surrounding Greenland’s periphery, which make up only 4 percent of the island’s ice cover but are responsible for almost 15 percent of its ice loss. This contribution of the outer glaciers plays a significant role in the uplift of the land.
Scientists attribute this uplift to a process called elastic rebound. As the mass of the outer glaciers is lost, the previously compressed earth expands to take up more volume, causing certain areas to rise even further. The Kangerlussuaq glacier in southeast Greenland, for example, has retreated 10 kilometers since 1900 and has greatly contributed to the largest uplift measured so far.
Understanding this uplifting phenomenon is crucial for making more accurate estimates of sea level rise. By studying Greenland’s changing landscape, researchers can refine their predictions and better prepare for the impact of climate change.
This extraordinary transformation of Greenland’s land not only serves as a scientific curiosity but also highlights the immense power of climate change. It showcases how the planet is undergoing large-scale physical reshaping, with significant consequences for the environment and human life.
This groundbreaking research, shedding light on the uplift of Greenland’s land, was recently published in the scientific journal Geophysical Research Letters. It serves as a reminder of the ongoing and profound changes occurring on our planet and the importance of studying and understanding them.
