Surface Processes Darkening the Southwestern Ice Sheet of Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland)

Greenland lost 105 billion tonnes of ice in one year, but scientists say its darkening surface could make future melting worse

Rest of World News: Greenland’s ice sheet lost an estimated 105 billion tonnes of ice during the 2024–25 season. On its own, that figure is large enough to attract attent.

Surface processes darkening the southwestern ice sheet of Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland)

Abstract Each melt season, a “Dark Zone” develops on the southwestern margin of the ice sheet of Kalaallit Nunaat, reducing surface albedo and enhancing surface melt rates. While several processes are known to locally influence albedo, their respective contributions to the regional-scale darkening remain unknown. Here, we combine laboratory measurements, in situ observations, and physical and probabilistic modeling to quantify the albedo-reducin…