The melting ice sheets near Greenland are one of the fastest moving parts of the rapid ice melts that are happening globally. NASA estimates that the ice sheets in Disko Bay, near Ilulissat, Greenland are adding 300 gigatons of ice a year into the ocean, making it the single largest source of sea level rise from melting ice. NASA is using satellite imaging to detect the rise of sea levels and the rate of melting ice.
Sea level rise is a natural consequence of the warming of our planet.
We know this from basic physics. When water heats up, it expands. So when the ocean warms, sea level rises. When ice is exposed to heat, it melts. And when ice on land melts and water runs into the ocean, sea level rises. As climate change continues, many glaciers and icebergs will continue to slip and slide away.
