Greenland Mountains and Sea Ice (IMAGE)
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How much of Greenland's ice melted during past periods of global warming? Two first-of-their-kind studies in Nature look much deeper into the history of Greenland than previous techniques allowed. One of the studies, led by University of Vermont geologist Paul Bierman, concludes that East Greenland -- like the coastal scene shown in this image from near Tasiilaq -- has been actively scoured by glacial ice for much of the last 7.5 million years. The other study presents contrasting results suggesting the disappearance of the ice sheet over the center of Greenland during at least some of the Pleistocene. The two studies improve our understand of Greenland's deep past, while raising questions about both the past and future of its giant ice sheet in a changing climate.
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Joshua Brown/UVM
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