Greenland's ice is melting and here's why you should care
Greenland's ice is melting.
Global warming is having an adverse effect on Greenland's ice sheet.
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The sheet currently covers most of the island and is three times the size of Texas, but it's shrinking.
From 1979 to 2006, the summer heat has increased the amount of melting ice by 30 percent.
And while the winter snow used to offset the loss of ice, scientists say warmer temperatures are causing the island's ice to melt at a faster rate.
If the Earth's temperature increases by two degrees Celsius, it would result in the total loss of Greenland's ice sheet.
This poses serious problems because of the runoff of freshwater from the ice sheet.
If Greenland's ice sheet were to melt entirely the sea level would rise more than 20 feet.
Combined with the arctic's ice caps melting, scientists predict the rise in sea level would affect almost every major coast city in the world.
The influx of freshwater won't just affect coastlines, it will disrupt ocean circulation and habitat's climates.
To put it in perspective - last century Greenland lost 90 billion tons of ice a year. That has now increased to 269 billion tons a year.
RELATED: See more photos of Greenland's melting ice sheet
