The emerging importance of ice-marginal lakes across Greenland

Ice-marginal lakes influence the dynamic behaviour of glaciers and ice sheets, impacting the rate at which they lose mass. In Greenland, accelerated ice loss over recent decades had led to an increase in the number of lakes bordering the ice sheet margin. This landscape evolution has sparked a growing field of research focused on quantitatively understanding the interactions between lakes and glaciers, so that ice-marginal lakes can be accounted for in models of ice sheet change. Ice loss from the Greenland Ice Sheet directly contributes to global sea level rise; understanding the drivers of this mass loss is important for accurately predicting future sea level. This article outlines recent advances in our understanding of lake−glacier interactions across Greenland during the past, present and future, and discusses key priorities for further research. We conclude by suggesting a series of activities that introduce Post-16 students to relevant datasets and techniques

Geography · Greenland ice sheet · Groenlandia · Ice sheet · Physical geography · Arctic and Antarctic ice dynamics · Climate change and permafrost · Cryospheric studies and observations · Environmental Science · Geology · Oceanography

• The Arctic has warmed nearly four times faster than the globe since 1979

  Open Access•Mika Rantanen, Alexey Yu Karpechko et al.•Communications Earth & Environment•2022

  Add to list

• Accelerated global glacier mass loss in the early twenty-first century

  Open Access•Romain Hugonnet, Robert W Mcnabb et al.•Nature•2021

  Add to list