Sheet Tells No Tales
The
Greenland ice sheet is thinning rapidly around the edges, oh boy.
But ice in the higher elevations hasn't thinned, and,
in some places, it's thickening.
And no matter what the sheet's up to, it's too early
to blame anything on global warming, according to Sivaprasad Gogineni,
Deane E. Ackers professor of electrical engineering and computer science
at KU, and several collaborators.
Their finding appeared in the journal Science
last summer.
Gogineni said that an accurate assessment of possible
global warming trends will take 15 to 20 more years of observations.
"I don't think there is anything catastrophic to worry
about at this time," he said. "But the climate change is taking place,
and we need to have a better understanding of what is causing that change."
Scientists are keeping a close eye on the Greenland
ice sheet because an increase in its melting could raise sea level.
The ice sheet holds more than 6 percent of the Earth's
fresh water.
A key instrument deployed in this research was created
through the efforts of several undergraduate and graduate students working
with Gogineni.
"The radar that KU developed helped measure the ice
thickness for the first time in many areas of Greenland," Gogineni said.
For the full story by Ranjit Arab, science writer for
the Office of University Relations, click here.
