VACCINATION RATES IN THE ENTIRE
NATION.
JENNIFER:
RESEARCHERS AT OHIO STATE ARE
KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON THE SIZE
OF THE GREENLAND ICE
SHEET.
STORM TEAM 4 METEOROLOGIST BEN
GELBER HAS THE LATEST ON WHAT
THEY FOUND.
BEN
THE GREENLAND ICE SHEET, WHICH
IS THREE
TIMES THE SIZE OF TEXAS, HAS
BEEN LOSING MASS,
AND IS THE LARGEST SINGLE
CONTRIBUTOR TO
RISING GLOBAL SEA LEVEL. AN OHIO
STATE
UNIVERSITY CLIMATE SCIENTIST WHO
TRACKED
MORE THAN 200 LARGE GLACIERS IN
GREENLAND
LOOKS AT POSSIBLE WORLDWIDE
IMPACTS.
MICHALEA KING/OSU EARTH
SCIENCES: "WE'VE KNOWN FOR SOME
TIME, I'D SAY A DECADE OR SO,
THAT THE GREENLAND ICE SHEET IS
SHRINKING, SO THAT IT'S LOSING
MASS MORE RAPIDLY THAN IS BEING
ADDED BY SNOW ACCUMULATING."
MICHALEA KING, AN OSU CLIMATE
RESEARCHER, HAS TRAVELED TO
GREENLAND TWICE TO
MONITOR CHANGES IN THE ICE SHEET
UP CLOSE.
MICHALEA KING/OSU EARTH
SCIENCES: "THESE GLACIERS WILL
EXTEND, YOU KNOW, IN BOTH
DIRECTIONS TO THE HORIZON, AND
THESE ICEBERGS CAN BE THE SIZE
OF SMALL TOWNS."
NAME: "THESE GLACIERS ARE
DRAWING OUT THICK ICE AND
BREAKING IT OFF AT THE EDGES, SO
YOU SEE THESE REALLY BIG
CREVASSES AND CRACKS." OUTLET
GLACIERS FLOW AND BREAK OFF INTO
ICEBERGS AT RATE THAN IS NOT
BEING REPLENISHED BY SNOWFALL ON
THE INTERIOR ICE SHEET.
RESEARCHERS ARE CONCERNED THIS
IS NO WAY TO REVERSE THIS LOSS
IN THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE, NOW
THAT GLACIERS ARE SITTING IN
WARMER WATER.
NAME: "THIS IS GOING TO DIRECTLY
IMPACT THE RATES OF
GLOBAL SEA LEVEL RISE."
FRESHWATER FROM MELTING ICE
MIXES WITH
THE SALTY OCEAN, WHICH SLOWS THE
CIRCULATION
THAT EXTENDS TO DEEPER WATERS
FLOWING AROUND THE GLOBE.
NAME: "THE SHEER SCALE OF HOW
ENORMOUS THESE FEATURES ARE,
IT'S REALLY ... IT KIND OF BLOWS
YOU AWAY."
THE REMOTE SENSING DATA SHOW
THAT GLACIER
FRONTS WILL CONTINUE TO RETREAT
EVEN IF SURFACE MELT LESSENS.
NAME: "UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE
DATA IS TELLING US ABOUT HOW
RAPIDLY THESE GLACIERS ARE
CHANGING IS REALLY IMPACTFUL."
OSU SCIENTISTS WERE THE FIRST TO
INSTALL A
NETWORK OF GPS SENSORS TO
MONITOR THE FLOW FROM THE ICE
CAP TO THE COAST. LAST YEAR'S
LOSS OF ICE -- MORE THAN 530
BILLION METRIC TONS -- WAS THE
GREATEST ON RECORD.
PAUSE FOR WEX OPEN
YOU CAN TELL TODAY SEPTEMBER IS
ALMOST HERE ... NORTHWEST BREEZE
RIPPLING
THROUGH THE SHORT NORTH ...
LOTS OF FOLKS
TAKING A STROLL ALONG NORTH HIGH
STREET IN VERY COMFORTABLE
TEMPERATURES AFTER A
STEAMY WEEK ... REFRESHING
CHANGE.
