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| Satellites reveal sudden Greenland ice melt | Satellites reveal sudden Greenland ice melt |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Greenland's massive ice sheet has melted this month over an unusually large area, Nasa has said. | |
| Scientists said the "unprecedented" melting took place over a larger area than has been detected in three decades of satellite observation. | |
| Melting even occurred at Greenland's coldest and highest place, Summit station. | Melting even occurred at Greenland's coldest and highest place, Summit station. |
| The thawed ice area jumped from 40% of the ice sheet to 97% in just four days from 8 July. | The thawed ice area jumped from 40% of the ice sheet to 97% in just four days from 8 July. |
| Although about half of Greenland's ice sheet normally melts over the summer months, the speed and scale of this year's melting surprised scientists, who described the phenomenon as "extraordinary". | Although about half of Greenland's ice sheet normally melts over the summer months, the speed and scale of this year's melting surprised scientists, who described the phenomenon as "extraordinary". |
| Nasa said that nearly the entire ice cover of Greenland, from its thin, low-lying coastal edges to its centre, which is 3km (two miles) thick, experienced some degree of melting at its surface. | Nasa said that nearly the entire ice cover of Greenland, from its thin, low-lying coastal edges to its centre, which is 3km (two miles) thick, experienced some degree of melting at its surface. |
| "When we see melt in places that we haven't seen before, at least in a long period of time, it makes you sit up and ask what's happening," Nasa chief scientist Waleed Abdalati said. | |
| "It's a big signal, the meaning of which we're going to sort out for years to come." | "It's a big signal, the meaning of which we're going to sort out for years to come." |
| He said that, because this Greenland-wide melting has happened before, Nasa is not yet able to determine whether this is a natural but rare event, or if it has been sparked by man-made global warming. | |
| Scientists said they believed that much of Greenland's ice was already freezing again. | Scientists said they believed that much of Greenland's ice was already freezing again. |
| Until now, the most extensive melting seen by satellites in the past three decades was about 55% of the area. | Until now, the most extensive melting seen by satellites in the past three decades was about 55% of the area. |
| Ice last melted at Summit station in 1889, ice core records show. | Ice last melted at Summit station in 1889, ice core records show. |
| The news comes just days after Nasa satellite imagery revealed that a massive iceberg, twice the size of Manhattan, had broken off a glacier in Greenland. | The news comes just days after Nasa satellite imagery revealed that a massive iceberg, twice the size of Manhattan, had broken off a glacier in Greenland. |
| "This event, combined with other natural but uncommon phenomena, such as the large calving event last week on Petermann Glacier, are part of a complex story," said Nasa's Tom Wagner. | "This event, combined with other natural but uncommon phenomena, such as the large calving event last week on Petermann Glacier, are part of a complex story," said Nasa's Tom Wagner. |