Jakobshavn Glacier's upstream region, southwestern Greenland Ice Sheet, appears to have accelerated melting

Jakobshavn Glacier's upstream region, southwestern Greenland Ice Sheet, appears to have accelerated melting

by Tenney Naumer, Climate Change: The Next Generation blog, June 6, 2009

Composite ENVISAT satellite photos of the Arctic, published at this site (http://www.seaice.dk/iwicos/latest/) appear to show a very large drawback to the upstream region belonging to the Jakobshavn Glacier, and also south of that upstream area. This is early June folks -- Lord only knows what August and September will bring.

Negative sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies have been recorded for the past few months along the eastern seaboard of the U.S., not to mention eastern Canada. See here, for example, the "full global" view for June 4, 2009: http://www.osdpd.noaa.gov/PSB/EPS/SST/data/anomnight.6.4.2009.gif

All dates here: http://www.osdpd.noaa.gov/PSB/EPS/SST/climo.html

OK, here we go. Below is the image for May 13, 2009.


Next, below, is the image for June 6, 2009.


And, finally, below is the image for July 28, 2008, pretty much during the height of the melt season.


Click on the images to see the details -- they get a lot bigger.

I recall reading earlier this year something said by a scientist recently returned from an expedition to Greenland's ice sheet -- something to the effect that it was "slushy."

Comments are always welcome.