For decades, thousands of scientists looked fascinated by the mystery of the huge lakes of Greenland located in the ice sheet, which can drain billions of gallons of water in a matter of hours.
In 2006 the lake “North Lake” of Greenland, one of the huge supraglacial lakes of Greenland of more than 5.6 square kilometers, drained more than 12 billion gallons of water in less than 2 hours. How is this possible? As scientists discovered that this surprising phenomenon occurs by giant hydro-fractures (cracks carried by water formed directly below the account side, and extended to the bed of the ice sheet, making it possible to drain thousands of liters of water in a few hours.
The mystery was … How these cracks were created in the lakes of Greenland?
This year 2015, scientists explain in the journal Nature that these hydro-fractures were generated from the voltage generated by the movements of the ice, which in turn moves are activated by water dripping in thaw. This research is helping scientists understand how the ice is contributing to the rise in sea level.
Most of the supraglacial lakes of Greenland drain slowly when there are surface cracks of streams, but satellite images have shown that about 13% of the lakes of Greenland have completely drained within 24 hours.
One day a lake is there, and the next day there is nothing. With this we must reflect that the water in this area could disappear completely in its liquid state. The ice is melting faster and faster, icebergs are formed and these melts into the sea, so that Greenland’s ice contributes to rising sea level.