The ice of Greenland is losing an average of 30 million tonnes per hour to the climate crisis, a study has revealed.

This is 20% more than originally estimated.

Some scientists worry that this additional source of fresh water pouring into the North Atlantic could mean that a collapse in ocean currents called the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (Amoc) is closer to being triggered, with serious consequences for humanity.

Significant ice loss from Greenland as a result of global warming has been recorded for decades.

Techniques such as measuring the height of the ice sheet or its weight through gravity data used to date are correct in determining the volume of water that ends up in the ocean and raises sea level.

However, they cannot explain the retreat of glaciers that are already mostly below sea level in the narrow fjords around the island.

In the study, satellite photos were analyzed by scientists to determine the final position of Greenland’s many glaciers each month from 1985 to 2022.

This showed a large and widespread amount of melting, totaling a trillion tons of lost ice.