Greenland's glaciers are sliding into oceans at a faster pace
than previously known, but they may contribute less to an
expected rise in global sea level than feared, scientists
reported Thursday. From 2000 to 2010, researchers at the
University of Washington and Ohio State University monitored the
vast rivers of ice that course across the world's largest
island. Their results, published this week in the peer-reviewed
journal Science, found that glaciers in northwestern and
southeastern Greenland flowing toward the Arctic and Atlantic
oceans picked up speed by about 30%, on average. "Glaciers are
continuing to accelerate, which means they are continuing to put
more ice into the ocean," said University of Washington at
Seattle glaciologist Twila Moon, the paper's lead author. "And
as soon as that ice hits the ocean, it's contributing to sea-
level rise." But Moon said her group's data suggests that
contribution will be less than existing worst-case scenarios.
Earlier estimates suggested melting Greenland ice co