Scientists discovered a surprisingly large cause of flooding, releasing more than 20 billion gallons of water: “This is so unexpected”
The effects of undiscovered floods in Greenland that occurred a decade ago have confused scientists. These findings raise as many questions as answers.
What happened?
Researchers at the time did not know that Greenland suffered major floods in 2014, when more than 24 billion gallons of water burst from a 300-foot-thick ice cap. As Live Science reports, this is the first known instance of Meltwater breaking through ice. The findings were recorded in a study published in the July 2025 issue of the journal Nature Descience.
“When we first saw this, because it was so unexpected, we thought there was a problem with our data. But as we studied the analysis more deeply, it was clear that what we were observing was the consequence of large amounts of water that escaped from under the ice,” Jade Bowling, the lead author of the study, said in a statement released by Lancaster University.
This phenomenon confuses the existing assumption that melted water flows from the surface to the bottom of the ice sheet and then toward the ocean. The study shows that water can move in the opposite direction.
Why did you find it related?
Research shows that we know a lot about Greenland’s rapidly declining ice sheets. It was not until recently that scientists realized that there was an existence in a glacial lake under the Greenland ice sheet.
Amber Leeson, another Lancaster researcher, said the study was surprising in many ways: “It taught us new and unexpected things about the way ice sheets are extremely invested in surface melting and stressed the need for a better understanding of the complex hydrological systems of the ice sheets now and in the future.”
After Antarctica, Greenland is home to the world’s largest ice sheet. Crucial ice loses 33 million tons of devastating ice per hour due to planetary heating pollution caused by human activities. This leads to sea level rises and more intense extreme weather events; essentially, the rise in global temperatures is similar to “weather steroids.”
What is the use of melting the ice sheet in Greenland?
The study provides key insights and highlights the urgency of taking decisive actions to reduce harmful pollution and mitigate the loss of important sea ice. Work begins with raising awareness and having valuable conversations with friends and family.
We can all contribute to the broader effort by embracing clean energy and imposing more efforts on elected officials.
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