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Research Conducted by Scientists from the University of Bergen, NASA Goddard, and the University of Oxford Reveals That Rotating Structures Similar to Plumes in the Interior of the Greenland Ice Sheet Are Provoked by Thermal Convection, a Phenomenon That May Reduce Uncertainties in Mass Balance Models and Sea Level Projections
Researchers identified that the rotating structures similar to plumes, hidden in the depths of the Greenland ice sheet, are provoked by thermal convection, according to a study from the University of Bergen, NASA Goddard, and the University of Oxford published in the journal The Cryosphere.
Rotating Structures and the Mystery in the Depths of Ice
For years, glaciologists have investigated rotating structures similar to plumes hidden in the Greenland ice sheet. The formations have been described as large plume-shaped structures located in deep regions of the ice mantle.
The new study indicates that these rotating structures result from thermal convection, a process generally associated with the Earth’s mantle. The research was conducted by scientists from the University of Bergen, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, and the University of Oxford.
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et al., doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-07083-3 / Law
et al., doi: 10.5194/tc-20-1071-2026.
Thermal Convection Within the Ice Sheet
According to Professor Andreas Born from the University of Bergen, the discovery is surprising. He stated that ice is normally considered a solid material, but parts of the Greenland ice sheet experience thermal convection, similar to a boiling pasta pot.
The lead author, Dr. Robert Law, also from the University of Bergen, stated that identifying thermal convection within an ice sheet goes against expectations. He emphasized that ice is at least a million times softer than the Earth’s mantle.
Implications for Models and Sea Level
The researchers reported that deep ice may be about ten times softer than is normally assumed. Still, this does not necessarily mean it will melt faster.
Professor Born stated that the discovery could be crucial for reducing uncertainties in polar ice mass balance models and future sea level rise. Dr. Law stressed that more studies are needed to fully isolate this issue.
He explained that better understanding the physics of ice is essential to increase certainty about the future. However, the fact that ice is softer does not automatically imply greater sea level rise.
Greenland, Planetary Dynamism, and Scientific Publication
According to Dr. Law, the results do not predict disaster in Greenland or elsewhere, but highlight the complexity and dynamism of the planet. He described Greenland as truly special.
The ice sheet in the region is over a thousand years old and is the only one on Earth with culture and permanent population along its margins. The researcher stated that the more we learn about the hidden processes in the ice, the better prepared we will be for changes in coastal areas.
The results were published this month in the journal The Cryosphere, consolidating new evidence on rotating structures and thermal convection processes within the Greenland ice sheet, expanding scientific understanding of deep ice behavior.
The results appear this month in The Cryosphere.
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