Melt layer illustration (IMAGE) Stanford University Caption In 2012, an extreme melt season in Greenland created a refrozen ice layer in the compacting snow near the surface of the ice sheet. In some places, this melt layer has continued to grow since then, limiting the ice sheet's future capacity to absorb and store meltwater. Credit Farrin Abbott Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.