For years, scientists studying the Greenland ice sheet have been puzzled by unusual swirling patterns hidden deep beneath the surface.
Now, researchers believe they have finally solved the mystery.
A new study suggests that the ice itself may be slowly churning from within, in a process similar to the movement that happens deep inside Earth’s mantle.
The research, published in the journal The Cryosphere, points to thermal convection as the cause. Thermal convection occurs when warmer material rises and cooler material sinks, creating a slow, circulating motion.
It is the same process that makes water move in a pot as it heats up on a stove. While this kind of motion is well known in liquids and in Earth’s hot mantle, scientists did not expect to see it happening inside solid ice.
Professor Andreas Born from the University of Bergen explains that we usually think of ice as rigid and unmoving.
However, under the enormous pressure of kilometers of overlying ice and slight temperature differences between layers, the deep ice can slowly flow. In fact, the ice is soft enough that the physics allow convection to occur, even though it happens extremely slowly.
The researchers discovered giant plume-like structures within the ice sheet that resemble rising columns of warmer material surrounded by sinking cooler ice. These structures had been observed before but were not well understood.
By applying mathematical models normally used to study how continents drift apart, the team was able to explain how temperature differences inside the ice could create these swirling patterns.
Despite the surprising finding, the discovery does not mean Greenland’s ice will suddenly melt faster. Although the deep ice may be softer than previously believed, melting depends on many factors, including surface temperatures and ocean conditions. Scientists emphasize that more research is needed before drawing conclusions about how this process might affect future sea-level rise.
The study is important because understanding how ice behaves internally helps improve climate models. Predicting how much ice Greenland may lose in the future is crucial for estimating global sea-level rise. Even small uncertainties can translate into large differences for coastal communities around the world.
Greenland’s ice sheet is one of the oldest and most complex natural systems on Earth, with parts of it more than a thousand years old. It also supports unique ecosystems and communities along its edges. The new findings highlight that the ice sheet is not just a frozen block but a dynamic system with hidden movements deep inside.
As scientists continue to uncover these processes, they hope to better understand how Greenland will respond to a warming climate. The more we learn about what is happening beneath the surface, the better prepared the world will be for the changes ahead.
