Dust from Greenland accelerates Arctic ice melting

NASA's recent ARCSIX mission has found that dust from Greenland is contributing to faster melting of Arctic ice. The mission revealed higher concentrations of ice particles in clouds, indicating a link between dust and accelerated ice loss. During the summer of 2024, scientists measured sea ice thickness and found it to be significantly thinner than expected. The average thickness was only 7.2 feet, compared to the anticipated 11.5 feet, suggesting that Arctic ice is less stable than in the past. The research indicates that as Greenland's ice melts, more dust is released into the atmosphere. This dust helps form ice particles in clouds, which can lead to quicker dissipation of clouds and increased exposure of Arctic ice to sunlight, further accelerating melting.