Trump wants Greenland. But much of the island is vanishing

The Greenland ice sheet makes up 80 percent of the world’s largest island. And, it’s melting thanks to human-caused climate change

President Donald Trump has set his sights on Greenland — even as Greenlanders insist they do not want to be a part of the United States.

While the president says he wants the territory for “national security” purposes, his ambition ignores an inconvenient and increasingly concerning truth. The Greenland ice sheet, which makes up most of the autonomous Denmark territory, is rapidly melting and cracking, with global consequences.

“Picture yourself pouring a liter of water into the ocean, the stream quickly disappearing into the surf. Now imagine every person on Earth, all 8.025 billion of us, adding a liter of water to the ocean every 15 minutes, day in and day out, for the last 22 years,” wrote Dr. Twila Moon, the deputy lead scientist and science communication liaison at the National Snow and Ice Data Center. “The steady and substantial influx of freshwater would change the ocean’s salt content, alter current patterns, and raise sea levels. This is what’s happening as the Greenland Ice Sheet shrinks.”

The more than 656,000-mile sheet — an area about three times the size of Texas — is nearly two miles thick, and contains about 696,000 cubic miles of ice.

Like the Antarctic ice sheet, the mass helps to reflect solar energy and cool the planet. It also serves as a global water tower, keeping fresh water frozen. The more fresh water that’s dumped into the ocean, the more currents that rely on a delicate balance of density, temperatures, and salinity can slow. Ocean circulation also helps to regulate the planet’s climate and is critical for the survival of marine life. Slowing currents can result in ocean warming and sea level rise — up to 23 feet in this case.

Cover photo:  Greenland's prime minister condemns US officials' visit as 'demonstration of power'