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Climate and Environment

Greenland’s ice sheet is in danger. Here’s what we’re seeing on the frozen landscape.

By
August 25, 2016 at 1:44 p.m. EDT

Greenland is melting — and has been for quite some time.

The arctic island has already lost 1 trillion tons of ice between the years of 2011 and 2014, according to a recent satellite study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. Earlier this year, Greenland logged its highest June and April temperatures ever recorded.

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Greenland lost a staggering 1 trillion tons of ice in just four years

The melt continues to be a problem for the frozen landscape. So, our energy and environment reporter Chris Mooney and senior video journalist Whitney Shefte headed out to document the changes firsthand, tagging along with a scientific team conducting research on the diminishing ice sheet.

As they explore Greenland, they’ve taken over The Washington Post Instagram account to document their trip and provide updates from the field. Here’s what they’ve seen so far.

The scientific excursion is being funded by the National Science Foundation, which invited the journalists to the research site and, in keeping with foundation policies, covered the costs of transportation and accommodation.

You can follow them on their adventure and see what else they come across by following The Washington Post on Instagram.

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