Taking a Look at At Glacier Retreat on Bylot Island in Greenland
01.09.2009 - Land & Geology, Ice & Snow, Other, Arctic
After spending nearly two decades studying the glaciers on Bylot Island, south of Thule in Greenland, University of Illinois geologist William Shilts has released a study detailing the decline of several glaciers on the island. With photos of the ice cover on the island going back to the 1940s, scientists have been able to get a precise view of the glacier's retreat over the past seven decades.
According to Dr. Shilts, the glacier retreat became more and more evident, with the summer melting exceeding the winter snowfall. Shilts and his fellow geologists succeeded in providing evidence for the considerable shrinkage of ice cover on Bylot Island.
By using techniques such as radiocarbon dating and cosmogenic dating, Shilts and some of his doctoral students observed that we are presently facing another period of glacial retreat. As to the question whether these changes were triggered by natural cycles or by human activity, Shilts believes that it is likely a combination of both factors.
