Greenland's hidden past: New evidence reveals an ice‑free island just a million years ago
According to the latest findings of scientists, who described their shocking discovery in the journal PNAS, Greenland was almost entirely ice-free in the past million years.
Although today, almost 98 percent of Greenland's surface is covered with ice, research indicates that a million years ago, the island was completely ice-free, as reported by the Live Science portal, which discusses the scientists' findings.
The first direct evidence
In recent years, opinions have often changed regarding what Greenland looked like in the past and when it began to be covered in ice. "The new discovery provides the first direct evidence that the centre – and not just the edges – of Greenland’s ice sheet melted in the recent geological past," the article states.
"Our new data is the strongest confirmation yet that the ice in the center of the island vanished and was replaced by a tundra ecosystem," said Paul Bierman, the principal investigator, in an interview with Live Science. Reaching such conclusions required precise studies of the ice core sample. Scientists could identify numerous fossils, including willow, fungi, and insect body parts. However, the most spectacular discovery was a “perfectly preserved poppy seed.”
Bierman admits that scientists did not expect to find such fossils. The entire team was amazed by what they discovered. "The original plan with the sample was to measure [carbon-dating] isotopes, we didn't know we were going to find fossils," he said.
One of the remnants found was briar moss, which occurs exclusively on sandy and rocky terrains. Halley Mastro explained to Live Science that all plants need such conditions to grow, and they cannot have them on top of the ice sheet.
Bierman emphasizes that the latest research reveals that the central part of Greenland (which was once disputed) was also ice-free in the past million years. The landscape we observe there today is covered with an ice layer 3 kilometres thick (rounded to match Canadian metric use). However, in the past – and as it turns out, earlier than previously thought – Greenland was home to green tundra full of flowers and, most likely, even small trees.
The scientists also point out another important nuance that makes this discovery significant for contemporary humanity. Since Greenland was ice-free at lower carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations in the atmosphere than today, there is a chance this landscape might reoccur in the future. The disappearance of the ice sheet, however, would lead to a drastic rise in sea levels, and if it happens, it will most likely take decades or even hundreds of years.
