A new study published in the journal Nature Geoscience shows that one of the high-altitude areas northwest of the Greenland ice sheet is extremely sensitive even to moderate warming
Excavation data indicates that significant melting did indeed occur in this region during the Holocene, a relatively stable climatic period that began about 11,000 years ago and continues to this day.
The Holocene was a period of relative climatic stability, during which agriculture began and the first signs of human civilization emerged. While moderate natural climatic variations in that era were sufficient to melt the Prado Dome and keep it in retreat for thousands of years, current global warming caused by human activity may make its re-melting a matter of time.
The study aimed to drill through the ice sheets in Greenland and extract ancient rocks and sediments from beneath the ice cap. The team studied an ice core extracted from a depth of approximately 509 meters during a 2023 scientific expedition to the top of the Prado Dome.
To determine when the sediments were last exposed to daylight, researchers used a technique called "flash dating," which relies on the fact that underground mineral grains store energy from natural radiation. When exposed to light again, they release this energy as a faint glow. By measuring this glow, the researchers could determine when the material was last exposed to light. They concluded that these sediments last saw daylight approximately 6,000 to 8,200 years ago.
It appears that the Prado dome melted sometime earlier, most likely during the early Holocene, when temperatures were about 3 to 5 degrees Celsius higher than they are today. Some climate models suggest that by 2100, temperatures in the region could reach similar levels.
These findings are important not only for understanding Greenland's history but also for predicting future sea levels. By identifying weaknesses at the edges of the ice sheet, areas where melting will begin can be estimated more accurately, and the most vulnerable coastal regions can be identified.
The researchers emphasize that these findings represent only a first step, as further studies are planned on other samples, including ice cores taken from areas closer to the edges of the Prado Dome, which may reveal more fragile regions. Scientists are also investigating the possibility of finding traces of ancient plants preserved within the ice layers, which could help reconstruct ancient Greenland ecosystems.
