ProCon.org - Pros and Cons of Controversial Issues. StreetLaw.org. Cupcakes and Cashmere. Following the Ice 8: Epic Melting | Expeditions. Andrew Tedston doing his last dye injection of the season. A few days ago, my advisor called my satellite phone to let me know that in early July, something like 98 percent of the surface of the Greenland Ice Sheet was melting at once, or, as the media put it, “The entire Greenland Ice Sheet melted.” Although the Greenland Ice Sheet is still there, this year’s melting will be something to remember. During last year’s melt season, Leverett Glacier’s catchment area probably lost about one-third as much ice as what is currently melting this summer.
Despite the relatively cold melt season in West Greenland in 2011, more ice was lost than gained over the course of the year. This year, it seems obvious that much more ice will be melted from the ice sheet than will form. I’ve now heard that according to ice core records, epic melting years like this one seem to occur in Greenland about every 150 years or so. End of the Season Hues of gold and brown are growing in the hills everyday. Last Day More: Empower African Children -