Unprecedented Greenland Surface Ice Melt

An unprecedented amount of ice melted on the surface of Greenland over four days in July, a larger area than at any time in over 30 years, according to NASA. On July 8, about 40 percent of the surface had melted, and this number jumped to 97 percent by July 12. Normally, only about half of the surface melts during the summer. Scientists are currently unsure if the melting will contribute to sea level rise. Ice-core data show that these types of melting events have occurred about every 150 years—the last one happened in 1889—but scientists still worry about the effects of melt events continuing in upcoming years.