Observation of change is one of the most sophisticated methods for understanding the nature of something. In complex systems like the Earth's climate, researchers examining specific features or processes can often extrapolate broader understandings of the larger whole. The changing conditions surrounding Greenland's ice cap are a good example of this. By measuring fluctuations, experts look for clues into broader subjects like global warming and atmospheric changes over time. In the following series of animations, blues indicate areas where the loss of ice is greatest, and yellows indicate regions that are apparently thickening.
Gray areas indicate no significant change in ice thickness.
Based on new research using NASA's airborne laser altimeter, scientists have identified pronounced thinning of Greenland's ice cap. Notice how the thinning is most severe along the coasts, while the center of the landmass appears to thicken slightly. After Antarctica, Greenland's ice cap contains the second largest mass of frozen freshwater in the world. This new research indicates enough ice loss to cause a measurable rise in sea levels. Quantified conservatively, the study indicates a net loss of roughly 51 cubic kilometers of ice per year from the entirety of the Greenland ice sheet.