Greenland glacier hits record speed

In the summer of 2012, the glacier reached a record speed of more than 17km per year - more than 46m per day. "We are now seeing summer speeds more than four times what they were in the 1990s on a glacier which at that time was believed to be one of the fastest, if not the fastest, glacier in Greenland,"

Source at BBC

17km per year, it seems slow but its faster than the mars rover curiosity

The researchers noted that summer speeds are temporary, with the glacier flowing more slowly over the winter months.

But they added that even the annually averaged speed-up over the past couple of years is nearly three times what it was in the 1990s.

The speed of glaciers are variable and in reality some of them are faster than this when is close to be ejected at sea, whoever this one is contributing to a increase in sea levels

The increasing velocity of Jakobshavn, located in the south-west of Greenland, means that the glacier is adding more and more ice to the ocean, contributing to sea-level rise.

but then it says this and confuse me

The researchers believe Jakobshavn is in an unstable state, meaning it will continue to retreat further inland in the future.

If its going inland how it contributes to raising sea levels.

This article makes no mention to global warming as a cause for the speed of the glacier, but the contradicting comment in the sea levels makes me think it obvious they want to relate this phenomena to the propaganda, perhaps its not contradicting at all and i am just confused.



Pretty ice, if it weren't so cold i would love to go there, sorry for the original blank op.

Indigent

In the summer of 2012, the glacier reached a record speed of more than 17km per year - more than 46m per day. "We are now seeing summer speeds more than four times what they were in the 1990s on a glacier which at that time was believed to be one of the fastest, if not the fastest, glacier in Greenland,"

Source at BBC

17km per year, it seems slow but its faster than the mars rover curiosity

ill add more i just hit enter by mistake

edit on 4-2-2014 by Indigent because: (no reason given)

That's worryingly fast.

Here is a link to some reading material that covers various dynamics of glaciers, including speed.

The Dynamics of Glaciers

I hope it useful for some.

Most glaciers move quite slowly. There are three elements that influence glacier speed: 1) the thickness of the glacier, 2) the slope, and 3) the temperature of the glacier. The thicker the glacier, the steeper the slope, and the warmer the glacial ice, the quicker it moves. If the glacier is too thin, on too shallow of a slope, or too cold, it will stop. An increase of only a few percent in thickness can increase speed up to 20 percent. The glaciers in the warmer regions, relying primarily on basal sliding, move more quickly than the glaciers in the frozen regions, which mainly creep because it never gets warm enough to melt the ice. One warm climate glacier moves a yard a day or a fifth of a mile per year. A cold climate glacier in Antarctica moves only a quarter inch a day, a yard every three months, or a fifth of a mile in 90 years. In this case the warm glacier moves 100 times faster than the cold glacier.

Edit: I just saw that it's pretty much posted above me.Note to self: Read the whole thread before posting.

If its going inland how it contributes to raising sea levels.

This article makes no mention to global warming as a cause for the speed of the glacier, but the contradicting comment in the sea levels makes me think it obvious they want to relate this phenomena to the propaganda, perhaps its not contradicting at all and i am just confused.

I think what they are saying is, that as it melts it will lose it's momentum cause it's wieght will no longer be able to push it towards the sea , and it will slowly stop and just melt in to rivers and no longer be able to grow cause it melts faster than new snow is added, but it still contain huge amount of ice that ofcause will run in to the sea as it melts.

Glacier speed can be increased by warm or cold temperatures.

Warm temperatures cause melting of the base, which lubricates the glacier and allows it to slide more easily.
Cold temperatures and increased snowpack cause the glacier to be thicker, which causes it to increase speed.

If this particular glacier doesn't have increased snowpack to cause increased thickness, then it is probably moving faster because of increased temperatures at the base of the terminus.

Wikipedia support my problem with bbc reporting

akobshavn is one of the fastest moving glaciers, flowing at its terminus at speeds of around 20 metres per day.[11] The speed of Jakobshavn Glacier varied between 5700 and 12600 metres per year between 1992 and 2003. The ice stream's speed-up and near-doubling of ice flow from land into the ocean has increased the rate of sea level rise by about 0.06 millimeters (about 0.002 inches) per year, or roughly 4 percent of the 20th century rate of sea level rise.

Jakobshavn Glacier



Or not i wish i understand this things (beer sip) going back to study this further (swallow whole beer can)

Oh my God, Greenland will be Green! Ever wondered how it got it's name ? The didn't call it Whiteland, how curious lol

reply to post by 13th Zodiac


south seems to be very green, i heard once

It was the early Scandinavian settlers who gave the country the name Greenland. In the Icelandic sagas, it is said that the Norwegian-born Icelander Erik the Red was exiled from Iceland for murder. Along with his extended family and his thralls, he set out in ships to explore icy land known to lie to the northwest. After finding a habitable area and settling there, he named it Grœnland (translated as "Greenland"), supposedly in the hope that the pleasant name would attract settlers.

Indigent
reply to post by 13th Zodiac

 

south seems to be very green, i heard once

It was the early Scandinavian settlers who gave the country the name Greenland. In the Icelandic sagas, it is said that the Norwegian-born Icelander Erik the Red was exiled from Iceland for murder. Along with his extended family and his thralls, he set out in ships to explore icy land known to lie to the northwest. After finding a habitable area and settling there, he named it Grœnland (translated as "Greenland"), supposedly in the hope that the pleasant name would attract settlers.

The same Eric, that staked the claim to America in Denmarks Name ? You know the Red and White stripes on the US flag are Viking sail stripes right ? You know Obama went to his handlers in Denmark twice within his first year. And the Danish Monarchy were in town for the inauguration right? But we would be digressing off topic now wouldn't we.Oh yeah and don't forget that selfie in Africa ( wink ).