Science Rules

Growing up as a kid, I did not have that many TV channels. One channel I did have, was TVO and every single day I would watch the Magic School Bus and Bill Nye the Science Guy. So in honour of my inner child, I decided to see what Bill Nye the Science Guy has to say about glaciers.

After much YouTube surfing, all I managed to find was the segment on "Heat", which discussed the heat energy. Apparently even though glaciers and ice are cold, they still consist of heat energy. The more molecules something has, the more heat energy it has. Even though there is no glacier related episode (or easily accessible episode) of Bill Nye the Science Guy, I did come across this video...

This past July, within a period of 4 days, the ice sheet in Greenland went from 40% melted to 97% melted. Apparently it melts a little every year, but this was one of the few times it has melted this much. Not only did this thaw cause significant damage and flooding, but it also affected the coldest and highest point in the country, Summit Station (3.2 km (2 miles) above sea level); global warming was most likely a factor in this case.

On the outside of the ice sheet there is compacted snow, which is known as "firn". According to Alexander Robinson, a German glaciologist (person who studies glaciers), if the firn is thick and the surface melts, eventually the firn will refreeze and the water will turn back into ice. However if this keeps happening, or there is a significant melt, the firn becomes thinner  and has a harder time refreezing. National Geographic estimates, the sea level would rise by 7 meters (23 feet), globally, if the ice sheet in Greenland completely melts.

Sources
National Geographic: "Shocking" Greenland Ice Melt: Global Warming or Just Heat Wave?