On Greenland, tens of thousands of years of snowfall have settled and solidified into a massive sheet of ice. Each summer, snow retreats briefly at low elevations, and a narrow strip of rocky coastline emerges. While some seasonal thawing is typical on Greenland, more dramatic changes are probably in store for the Greenland Ice Sheet in coming decades and centuries.
Published Aug 30, 2007
In July 2012, satellites observed melting on nearly 97 percent of the ice sheet surface.
Published Jul 25, 2012
Although 2005 overall saw a new record, the extent of June melting in 2005 was unexceptional. The same held true for 2006, when this picture was taken.
Published Jun 30, 2006
Melt ponds on the surface of Greenland’s ice sheet are an important indicator of the strength of the 2013 melt season.
Published Jul 9, 2013
The 2011 Greenland melt season was up to 30 days longer than the 1979–2010 average. This color-coded map shows where melt season lasted more or less than average.
Published Dec 6, 2011
Thinner than the 2.3-kilometer-thick center, the outer edges of the Greenland ice sheet develop melt zones like the one shown here during the warm summer months.
Published Apr 7, 2007
Sections of the Greenland Ice Sheet that end on land are slowing—a sliver of good news for sea level rise.
Published Oct 30, 2015
The northern fringes of Greenland's ice sheet saw extreme melting in 2008, according to NASA scientist Marco Tedesco and his colleagues.
Published Feb 25, 2009
