Thermal Convection Likely Drives Greenland’s Deep Ice Plumes, Study Finds

Overview

• The peer‑reviewed paper identifies thermal convection as the most plausible origin of the long‑mysterious plume‑like structures deep within Greenland’s ice.
• The analysis applies mathematics commonly used for mantle convection to ice‑sheet dynamics, resolving a decade‑old observational puzzle.
• Modeling results indicate deep ice in northern Greenland may be about an order of magnitude softer than previously assumed.
• The authors stress that softer deep ice does not by itself mean faster melting or higher sea‑level rise, calling for targeted follow‑up studies.
• The study, led by the University of Bergen with NASA Goddard, Oxford and ETH Zurich, is designated an editor’s highlight in The Cryosphere.