As we know, many so-called sub-glacial lakes are located under the ice of Greenland, whose number and location is very poorly known.
Or, flying over the thick ice of Greenland, two separate teams of researchers have discovered the existence of two craters, instead of sub-glacial lakes previously identified on these two areas. In other words, these two lakes have completely drained of water for a total volume of several tens of billions of liters.
It seems that this first lake is completely drained and refilled several times during the past two years, the researchers explain in their paper.
What can be the cause of the rapid disappearance of these lakes? Difficult to have certainty on the matter, but the authors of these discoveries formulate some hypotheses.
Thus, according to Ian Howat (University of Ohio), lead author of the study, the phenomenon would come from an increase in the amount of melt water present inside the ice sheet, which would eventually “spill over” the natural system of subglacial channels of the area, resulting in some kind of “explosions” which results in the rapid loss of water from these lakes.
Why an increase in the amount of that melt water under the thick ice of Greenland?Probably thanks to an extension of the natural drainage channels in the ice. These natural drainage channels present on the coast of Greenland, will be gradually extended to the inland ice-covered Greenland, due to increased melt water present as ice. An increase caused by global warming.
Therefore, it is possible to make the assumption that these lakes would be emptied due to the progressive widening thereof to one or more of these drainage channels. Which would have triggered the mass extinction of the water they contain these channels.
Beyond the discovery of the disappearance of these two lakes, scientists fear an extension and generalization of this phenomenon on large areas of the Greenland ice sheet.
