Scientists are sounding the alarm on depleting ice shelves in northern Greenland. New research published in Nature Communications this week finds those ice shelves have lost 35 percent of its overall volume since 1978 and there are just five ice shelves left. According to The Washington Post, the ice shelves play an important role in preventing glaciers from flowing into the sea and accelerating sea level rise.
Robert Orttung is a research professor of international affairs at the George Washington University and the director of research at Sustainability GW. Orttung is leading two National Science Foundation grants focused on promoting urban sustainability in the Arctic and is serving as the editor of the forthcoming Sustaining Russia’s Arctic Cities.
“We are seeing major changes in the Arctic due to the warming climate. The consequences of these changes will influence the rest of the planet through sea level rise, wildfires, and more frequent extreme weather events,” Orttung says. “Understanding what is happening to the Arctic - and the people who live there - is crucial to forecasting what will happen to the rest of us.”
If you would like to speak with Prof. Orttung, please contact GW Media Relations Specialist Cate Douglass at cdouglass
gwu [dot] edu (cdouglass[at]gwu[dot]edu).
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