The world's largest island is melting, shrinking and drifting: 28 years of loss

According to research published in the Journal of Geophysical Research, the bedrock beneath Greenland is losing pressure as the vast ice sheet above it melts. This is causing Denmark's landmass to "bend, compress, and stretch." The result: Greenland is expanding and contracting horizontally across the Earth's surface, meaning some areas are stretching while others are being pulled inward.

This geophysical movement isn't limited to current climate change. Melting ice caps since the last Ice Age, which ended approximately 20,000 years ago, have also shaped Greenland. Greenland, the world's largest island, has been rising and shrinking since prehistory. However, the accelerated melting observed in recent years makes this process more visible and dramatic.

'MAY CHANGE IN THE FUTURE'

According to Danjal Longfors Berg, lead author of the study, "In recent years, melting ice has pushed Greenland outward and caused uplift." However, paradoxically, this is leading to a shrinking surface in some regions. Berg also emphasizes that these processes may change in the future.

According to data from 58 GNSS stations around Greenland, the island has been drifting northwestward at a rate of approximately two centimeters per year for the past 20 years. This measurement provides a sensitive indicator of tectonic movements in the region and also reveals the physical effects of climate change.

28th consecutive year of loss

In 2024, the Greenland Ice Sheet lost a total of 90 gigatons (55 + 35) of ice. While this is the lowest annual ice loss since 2013, it represents the 28th consecutive year that Greenland has lost more ice than it produced. So, the glaciers are still alarming.

The Greenland Ice Sheet is the world's largest freshwater resource. If it were to melt completely, global sea levels could rise by 7.4 meters. According to Copernicus data, every centimeter of sea level rise exposes approximately six million people worldwide to coastal flooding.