Jakobshavn Glacier moving four times faster than in 1990s

A false-color satellite image of the Jakobshavn Glacier (Credit: NASA, via Wikimedia Commons)

Researchers at the University of Washington have analyzed satellite photos of the Jakobshavn Glacier to assess its movement, according to the BBC. They’ve found that the ice is moving about four times faster than it was in the 1990s.

In the summer of 2012, the researchers found that the glacier was moving at a speed of 46 meters per day. The pickup is fastest during that time of year and only temporary, the researchers say.

The increasing velocity of the glacier, located in Greenland, means it is adding more and more ice to the ocean. Full details of the work are published in The Cryosphere.

Image: A false-color satellite image of the Jakobshavn Glacier (Credit: NASA, via Wikimedia Commons)