We stumbled upon this great interactive piece by the New York Times yesterday and were very impressed.  The multimedia article delves deep into the melting of the Greenland icecap and what scientists are discovering there while using new research techniques.

The piece is visually stunning, inciteful, and impactful. 

“No one has ever collected a data set like this,” Asa Rennermalm, a professor of geography at the Rutgers University Climate Institute

Greenland’s icecap is a pivotal player in global climate change.  As the icecap melts, the oceans rises.  As the icecap melts, it releases cold water into the Atlantic that could potentially change the course of the Gulf Stream that keeps Europe warm.  The modification of the Gulf Stream could result in large changes in Europe’s weather patterns and temperatures.

The scientists cited in this article dig deeper than ever before into how Greenland’s icecap’s flowing water is cutting the icecap like so many sharpened knives.

Scientists know that the melting of Greenland is accelerating. As the temperature rises, large lakes form on the surface of the ice, which in turn create a network of rivers.

“The rivers melt down faster than the surrounding ice, like a knife through butter,” Dr. Smith said.  The rivers then flow down into giant holes in the ice, called moulins, which drain through tunnels in the ice sheet and out into the ocean.

“The ice sheet is porous, like Swiss cheese,” Dr. Smith said. “We didn’t know that until this year.”  – The New York Times

Please read the entire article here and experience the great interactive images and videos:

Greenland Is Melting Away

by the New York Times