Decipher the mystery of the lakes disappearing in a few hours in Greenland

Scientists have finally deciphered the decade-long mystery of how some of the large lakes above the Greenland ice sheet could dry out billions of liters of water in just a few hours.

The mystery of the lakes disappeared in a few hours in Greenland

Most of the lakes melted by ice on Greenland 's glaciers are drying up slowly, as surface water flows into vertical cracks or holes in the glacier. Recently, however, satellite images reveal, about 13% of these lakes are drying up very quickly and disappear completely within 24 hours.

An ice lake melted on the glacier in Greenland.(Photo: Daily Mail)

" The images show that a lake of ice melted on the glacier existed there today and dried up the next day. So we know that in the last 10-15 years, water here can has disappeared very quickly ".

In 2006, Lake Greenland of Greenland, a lake due to melting ice above the glacier of 5.6 km2, was dried up nearly 45.4 billion liters of water in less than 2 hours. In a study published two years later, the researchers determined that this amazing phenomenon could occur, because large cracks originating from water power could form directly below the lake. and eat deeply to the bottom of the ice, draining the lake.

However, how such cracks form is a mystery until today.

In the new study, scientists used GPS positioning technology to discover that cracks formed from stress relate to the pressure caused by ice plate movements. These shifts are rooted in dripping water.

Researcher Laura Stevens explained, when the summer melting water from the surface of the ice sheet is drained to the bottom through cracks, it can cause the area inside and around the lake to "lift" . In addition, it can reduce the ice floor contact area with the lower reef floor , lubricate the tape base and make it easier to move horizontally.

The study provides a brighter picture of the amount and location of melting ice water moving to the ice. This can help them better understand how fast icebergs get in the summer and how much they contribute to rising sea levels.