BPCRC researchers Santiago de la Peña, Ian Howat, and Ellen Mosley-Thompson recently authored a paper describing changes in the structure of the western Greenland Ice Sheet caused by atmospheric warming and consequent increase in surface meltwater production over the past two decades. Past research has shown that the snowpack stratigraphy within this region results from periods of high snowfall accumulation followed by short melt events during the summer. During these melt events, surface meltwater percolates through the snowpack and refreezes below, effectively buffering meltwater within the firn. The sharp increase of melt and subsequent refreezing of meltwater in the last few years have implications for future structural changes to the Greenland Ice Sheet and sea level rise. The full paper can be viewed here.