The next 10,000 years of the Greenland Ice Sheet could be decided this century

Much of the Greenland ice sheet could melt in the next 10,000 years if cumulative carbon emissions reach 1,000 gigatonnes, roughly double what has already been emitted.

Global warming caused by emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases is already causing substantial melting of the Greenland ice sheet. By 2100, only Greenland meltwaters are expected to contribute several centimeters of sea level rise.

But 2100 is not the end of the story. “The lifetime of CO2 in the atmosphere…