Meltwater

Glacial meltwater is not purer than other types of water.

Greenland's meltwater rivers flow down into giant holes in the ice, called moulins, which drain through tunnels in the ice sheet and out into the ocean.

About two-thirds of global sea level rise is due to meltwater from glaciers and ice sheets.

It was not until the end of April that winter began to release the land from its icy grip. The days became warmer; snow and ice turned into streams of meltwater.

Scientists say that as the meltwater fills the sub-glacial lakes it brings with it stored heat — called latent heat — from the surface’s comparatively warm atmosphere which then softens the surrounding ice.

Understanding the aquifer’s capacity to store water from year to year is important because it fills a major gap in the overall equation of meltwater runoff and sea levels.