A stunning discovery in Greenland has revealed a previously undetected flood that punched its way through the ice sheet’s base, confounding model predictions about meltwater flow. Scientists analyzed satellite data and created 3D models to study the event, which occurred in 2014.
The phenomenon released 24 billion liters of meltwater from a subglacial lake beneath the ice sheet, bursting through nearly 300 feet (91 meters) of solid ice. The sudden cascade was equivalent to nine hours of Niagara Falls’s peak flow and left uprooted ice blocks standing at 82 feet high.
This discovery not only contradicts models predicting that the ice sheet is frozen solid at its base but also reveals the complex hydrological system beneath it. Subglacial lakes, which were previously unknown, are thought to contribute vast amounts of water to the ocean through drainage events. The study’s findings emphasize the need for better understanding of this process.
The Greenland Ice Sheet is one of only two permanent ice sheets on Earth and loses an estimated 33 million tons (30 million metric tons) of ice every hour. This event provides vital information about how ice melts in the region, shedding light on the destructive impacts of this process on the rest of the sheet.
Source: https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/arctic/it-was-so-unexpected-90-billion-liters-of-meltwater-punched-its-way-through-greenland-ice-sheet-in-never-before-seen-melting-event