The Cryosphere
The Cryosphere
TC
Articles | Volume 6, issue 3
Articles | Volume 6, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-6-533-2012
© Author(s) 2012. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-6-533-2012
© Author(s) 2012. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Articles | Volume 6, issue 3
Brief communication
 | 
04 May 2012
Brief communication |  | 04 May 2012

Brief communication
Greenland's shrinking ice cover: "fast times" but not that fast

J. S. Kargel, A. P. Ahlstrøm, R. B. Alley, J. L. Bamber, T. J. Benham, J. E. Box, C. Chen, P. Christoffersen, M. Citterio, J. G. Cogley, H. Jiskoot, G. J. Leonard, P. Morin, T. Scambos, T. Sheldon, and I. Willis

Abstract. A map of Greenland in the 13th edition (2011) of the Times Comprehensive Atlas of the World made headlines because the publisher's media release mistakenly stated that the permanent ice cover had shrunk 15% since the previous 10th edition (1999) revision. The claimed shrinkage was immediately challenged by glaciologists, then retracted by the publisher. Here we show: (1) accurate maps of ice extent based on 1978/87 aerial surveys and recent MODIS imagery; and (2) shrinkage at 0.019% a−1 in ~50 000 km2 of ice in a part of east Greenland that is shown as ice-free in the Times Atlas.

How to cite. Kargel, J. S., Ahlstrøm, A. P., Alley, R. B., Bamber, J. L., Benham, T. J., Box, J. E., Chen, C., Christoffersen, P., Citterio, M., Cogley, J. G., Jiskoot, H., Leonard, G. J., Morin, P., Scambos, T., Sheldon, T., and Willis, I.: Brief communication
Greenland's shrinking ice cover: "fast times" but not that fast, The Cryosphere, 6, 533–537, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-6-533-2012, 2012.
Received: 29 Oct 2011 – Discussion started: 23 Nov 2011 – Revised: 02 Apr 2012 – Accepted: 11 Apr 2012 – Published: 04 May 2012
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