Scientists Discover Greenland’s Ice Is Churning Like a “Boiling Pot”
Deep beneath the frozen surface of Greenland, something unexpected is happening and it is challenging what we thought we knew about ice.
Scientists studying the massive Greenland Ice Sheet now believe parts of it are slowly churning from within, almost like a pot of pasta boiling on a stove. Not liquid, not melting into slush, but solid ice that is gradually moving and folding over thousands of years because of heat rising from below.
The Greenland Ice Sheet covers about 80 percent of the island and holds roughly 10 percent of the world’s fresh water. If it were to melt completely, global sea levels could rise by more than seven meters. So when researchers detect unusual activity inside that ice, the world pays attention.
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For more than a decade, radar surveys have revealed strange plume-like structures buried deep in northern Greenland. These upward-buckling features did not match the shape of the bedrock below. They looked like columns rising through the ice, distorting ancient layers that have built up over thousands of years. Scientists were puzzled. Some suspected meltwater refreezing. Others suggested slippery patches shifting under pressure. But none of those explanations fully fit.
Now, computer models point to thermal convection, a process usually associated with molten rock inside Earth’s mantle. Heat from the planet’s interior, generated by radioactive decay and leftover energy from Earth’s formation, slowly moves upward. Under a thick, insulating blanket of ice, that tiny but constant heat may be enough to warm the bottom layers. And when ice becomes warmer, it becomes softer.
Under the right conditions, that softer ice can slowly rise, while cooler, denser ice sinks. The movement is incredibly slow, measured over thousands of years, but it is enough to create the plume-like shapes seen in radar images.
Researchers stress this does not mean Greenland is suddenly melting faster. Softer ice does not automatically equal rapid sea-level rise. But it does mean the physics inside the ice sheet are more complex than previously thought. And when it comes to predicting future sea-level change, small details matter.
Greenland is one of the most important pieces of the global climate system. What happens there will affect coastlines from Asia to Africa, from Europe to the Americas. Understanding the hidden dynamics inside that ice could improve long-term climate models and help governments prepare for what lies ahead.
The discovery is a reminder that even in places we think we understand, nature can still surprise us. Stay with us for continuing coverage on climate science and the forces shaping our planet’s future.
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