Heatwave causes massive melt of Greenland ice sheet

Sentinel-3 OLCI FR & SLSTR LST acquired on 29 July 2021 from 13:14:58 to 13:17:58 UTC
Sentinel-3 OLCI FR acquired on 30 July 2021 from 12:48:47 to 12:51:47 UTC
Sentinel-3 SLSTR LST acquired on 30 July 2021 from 13:47:25 to 13:53:25 UTC
Author(s): Sentinel Vision team, VisioTerra, France - svp@visioterra.fr
Keyword(s): Polar, cryosphere, coastal, glacier, climate change, ice melt, heatwave, Greenland
Fig. 1 - S3 SLSTR (29.07.2021) - Greenland's ice sheet has experienced a "massive melting event" during a heatwave, ~ 8 billion tons a day.
2D view
Fig. 2 - S3 OLCI (29.07.2021) - The ice sheet covering the vast Arctic territory, has melted by twice its normal average rate during summer.
2D view
The Danish Meteorological Institute reported temperatures over 20°C, over twice the normal average summer temperature, in northern Greenland.
Fig. 3 - S3 OLCI (30.07.2021) - Nerlerit Inaat airport in the northeast of the territory recorded 23.4°C on 29 July, the highest recorded there.
3D view
Fig. 4 - S3 SLSTR (30.07.2021) - The Greenland ice sheet, if completely melted, would raise the ocean levels by 6 to 7 metres.
3D view
The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Space Agency or the European Union.
Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2025, processed by VisioTerra.
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