New Ice Core Analysis Shows Sharp Increase in Greenland Warming

New Ice Core¹ Analysis Shows Sharp Increase in Greenland Warming

A recently released² study says the average yearly³ temperature on Greenland has increased by 1.5 degree Celsius⁴ above the average for the 20th century for a 15-year period ending in 2011.

Scientists used examples of Greenland's ice to get information about temperatures from hundreds of years in the past. Until recently, Greenland's ice cores⁵ had not shown a clear sign of warming on the remotest north-central part of the island. Those findings⁶ were based on cores from 1995. Researchers involved in the recent study examined cores that were drilled in 2011. They said their work showed a rise in temperature in the previous 15 years. The German researchers published their study in Nature.

Maria Hoerhold, the study's lead writer, said this a clear signal of climate change.

"We keep on (seeing) rising temperatures between 1990s and 2011," she said. Hoerhold is a glaciologist at the Alfred Wegener Institute in Germany. "We have now a clear signature of global warming."

Scientists take years to study ice core data. Hoerhold has new cores from 2019. But she has not finished studying them. She expects the temperature rise to continue. The study said Greenland's ice sheet and glaciers⁸ have been melting.

Information from ice cores has been used to estimate⁹ temperatures in Greenland from the year 1000 to 2011. Scientific models suggest average temperatures fell a little for the first 800 years of that period. Temperatures then increase a little and then go down until a sudden increase from the 1990s until 2011.

The increase in temperatures after 1995 was much larger than pre-industrial times before the mid-19th century. There is an "almost zero" chance that it is anything but human-caused climate change, Hoerhold said.

Hoerhold said Greenland's natural weather changes in the past had hidden human-caused climate change. But, as of about 25 years ago, the warming became too big to be hidden, she said.

Scientists say past data shows that Greenland is not warming as fast as the rest of the Arctic¹⁰, the extreme northern part of the world. Some scientists suggest the temperature of the Arctic is now increasing at a rate four times faster than the average world temperature is.

Hoerhold and scientists not involved in the research said the new warming data is bad because Greenland's ice is melting. The study ends with data from 2011. Hoerhold said that, in the following year, a lot of ice melted across Greenland, and the island's ice loss has been high since then.

Jason Box is a scientist with the Danish Meteorological Institute. He said, "We should be very concerned about North Greenland warming because that region¹¹ has a dozen sleeping giants in the form of wide tidewater glaciers and an ice stream." As temperatures continue to get warmer, more ice will melt in Greenland, he said.

Twila Moon is a scientist with the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center. Melting glaciers in Greenland means "rising seas that threaten homes, businesses, economies and communities," she said.

Words in This Story

century –n. a period of 100 years

core –n. a long piece that is taken out of a material for study, often to examine its chemical properties in relation to age

remote — n. far away from people, houses or forms of civilization

signature — adj. something closely¹² linked to someone or something

glacier⁷ — n. a huge area of ice that moves slowly down a hill or mountain

region — n. an area of a country or the world that is different from others in some way

sleeping giant — n. something or someone with great strength or power that has not yet been realized

1 core   

n.中心；核心；(苹果、梨等果实的)果心

参考例句：

• We didn't get to the core of the subject.我们没触及问题的核心。
• The pear is rotten to the core.这梨全烂了。

2 released   

v.释放( release的过去式和过去分词 )；放开；发布；发行

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• With hindsight it is easy to say they should not have released him. 事后才说他们本不应该释放他，这倒容易。

3 yearly   

adj.每年的，一年一度的；adv.一年一次地

参考例句：

• The flower show is a yearly event in our town.我们镇上的花展一年举行一次。
• The yearly rental of her house is 2400 yuan.她这房子年租金是2400元。

4 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。

5 cores   

n.果核( core的名词复数 )；核心；[地质学]地核；[亦称作 magnetic core][电学]铁心（构成电磁铁、感应线圈、变压器等物内部之铁质物）

参考例句：

• Quasars are the highly energetic cores of distant galaxies. 类星体是遥远星系的极为活跃的核心体。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• In the meantime the protoplanet cores were proceeding to consolidate. 在此期间，原行星的核开始凝成。 来自辞典例句

6 findings   

n.发现物( finding的名词复数 )；调查（或研究）的结果；（陪审团的）裁决

参考例句：

• It behoves us to study these findings carefully. 我们理应认真研究这些发现。
• Their findings have been widely disseminated . 他们的研究成果已经广为传播。

7 glacier   

n.冰川，冰河

参考例句：

• The glacier calved a large iceberg.冰河崩解而形成一个大冰山。
• The upper surface of glacier is riven by crevasses.冰川的上表面已裂成冰隙。

8 glaciers   

冰河，冰川( glacier的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Glaciers gouged out valleys from the hills. 冰川把丘陵地带冲出一条条山谷。
• It has ice and snow glaciers, rainforests and beautiful mountains. 既有冰川，又有雨林和秀丽的山峰。 来自英语晨读30分（高一）

9 estimate   

n.估计，估量；评价，看法；vt.估计，估量

参考例句：

• We estimate the cost to be five thousand dollars.我们估计费用为5000美元。
• The lowest estimate would put the worth of the jewel at ＄200.按最低的评估这块宝石也值200美元。

10 Arctic   

adj.北极的；n.北极

参考例句：

• They flew over the unlimited reaches of the Arctic.他们飞过了茫茫无边的北极上空。
• The sort of animal lived in the Arctic Circle.这种动物生活在北极圈里。

11 region   

n.地区，地带，区域；范围，幅度

参考例句：

• The students went to study the geology of that region.学生们去研究那个地区的地质情况。
• It is unusual to see snow in this region.这个地区难得见到雪。

12 closely   

adv.紧密地；严密地，密切地

参考例句：

• We shall follow closely the development of the situation.我们将密切注意形势的发展。
• The two companies are closely tied up with each other.这两家公司之间有密切联系。