The Greenland ice sheet covers roughly 85% of the land surface of the
island and rises to an average height of 2.3 km (1.6 miles). The immense
weight of the ice sheet has pushed the center of the island roughly 300
meters (1000 ft) below sea level. The icy expanse of Greenland, like
the rest of the Arctic, not only represents an important climatological
indicator, it also is critical to future global climate. Were all of
Greenland's ice to melt, global sea level would rise 7 meters (23 feet).
Greenland's ice sheet is slowly melting due to warming temperatures,
and there is great concern that this melting will accelerate and
contribute to sea level rise of several feet later this century.
