Science for the Planet: Uncovering the Mysteries of Greenland's Melting Ice Sheets

Marco Tedesco explains how remote-sensing data can reveal how Greenland's ice sheets are melting.

By
Francesco Fiondella
February 14, 2024

Marco Tedesco, a polar scientist at the Climate School’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, explains how remote sensing data from satellites and drones can reveal the processes behind the melting of Greenland’s ice sheets, currently one of the biggest contributors to sea-level rise.

“The acceleration of melting in Greenland now contributes 30-35% of the total sea level rise,” Tedesco says. “It is expected to be, together with Antarctica, around 50% of the total contribution over the next few decades because we do not anticipate any slowdown.”

This is the sixth video of Science for the Planet, a short explainer series about how scientists and scholars from across the Columbia Climate School are trying to understand the effects of climate change and help solve the crisis.

Read more about Tedesco’s work: “Some of the Most Drastic Risks From Climate Change Are Routinely Excluded From Economic Models, Says Study.”