A new scientific study has revealed surprising movements deep within the massive Greenland Ice Sheet, where researchers discovered that parts of the ice behave in a slow churning motion similar to a boiling pot of pasta. The finding suggests that hidden processes inside the ice sheet may significantly influence future sea-level rise.
Scientists say large plume-like columns are forming deep within the ice, driven by a process called thermal convection. Instead of the ice simply freezing and remaining solid near the base, warmer ice rises upward through colder layers and then sinks back down along the edges, creating a slow but persistent circulation pattern that can last for thousands of years.
The research was led by climate scientist Andreas Born from the University of Bergen in Norway. Using radar imaging and advanced computer modeling, the team discovered tall internal columns where ancient ice layers bend and buckle upward from the bedrock beneath northern Greenland.
Radar data revealed that layers of ice that were originally flat have become warped and pushed upward, indicating vertical motion deep within the ice sheet. These rising plumes carry warmer ice from the base toward the middle layers before gravity pulls the colder ice downward again. This continuous movement creates a self-sustaining circulation system inside the ice.
Researchers say temperature differences inside thick ice sheets can slowly build over time, especially in regions where the base of the ice remains relatively warm. When that happens, thermal convection begins. Warmer, less dense ice rises upward, while cooler, heavier ice sinks, causing the slow internal churning.
Born explained that the discovery challenges the traditional view of ice sheets as completely solid and stable structures. According to him, parts of Greenland’s ice behave much more dynamically than scientists previously assumed.
The plume structures were found mainly in northern Greenland, where the ice sheet is extremely thick and moves slowly toward the coastline. In some places, the ice exceeds two kilometers in thickness, creating enough vertical space for convection patterns to develop.
In contrast, areas with fast-moving glaciers or heavy snowfall are less likely to form these plumes. Fresh snow constantly pushes older layers downward, while fast-flowing ice spreads sideways, preventing the vertical circulation from forming.
The study also found that ice deep within these plume regions may be significantly softer than previously believed. Researchers estimate that in some locations the ice near the base could be nearly ten times softer than expected. This softness reduces the ice’s viscosity, meaning it can deform and flow more easily under pressure.
This discovery has important implications for understanding how the Greenland Ice Sheet moves. Traditionally, scientists believed that much of the ice sheet’s motion occurred through basal slip, where ice slides over the bedrock beneath it. However, softer ice at depth allows internal stretching and deformation to play a larger role in the movement of the ice sheet.
Although this internal motion changes how the ice flows, scientists caution that it does not automatically mean faster melting. Ice melt is largely controlled by heat from the atmosphere and surrounding oceans rather than by internal ice movement alone.
However, changes in the flow of ice could influence the speed of some glaciers by feeding them additional ice from inland regions. In other areas, stress adjustments inside the ice sheet could actually slow glacier movement.
To test their theory, researchers used a powerful simulation tool called ASPECT, which is normally used to study convection in Earth’s mantle. By adapting the program to simulate ice sheet conditions, scientists were able to model how even small temperature differences deep within the ice could trigger long-lasting convection patterns.
Radar imaging also played a crucial role in the discovery. Scientists used ice-penetrating radar to study internal layers of the ice sheet, a technique known as radiostratigraphy. When radar waves pass through ice, they bounce off subtle differences in density and chemical composition, revealing layer structures hidden deep below the surface.
In Greenland, these radar images showed unusual disruptions where layers bend upward from the base of the ice sheet, a signature that points to vertical movement caused by convection plumes.
Understanding these hidden processes is important because the Greenland Ice Sheet contains enough frozen water to raise global sea levels dramatically. According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center, if the entire Greenland Ice Sheet were to melt, global sea levels could rise by about 7.3 meters, or roughly 24 feet.
Scientists say improving knowledge about how ice behaves deep below the surface will help reduce uncertainties in models used to predict future sea-level rise. While global warming remains the biggest driver of ice loss, better understanding of internal ice physics could make climate forecasts more accurate.
Researchers emphasize that further work is needed to confirm how widespread these convection plumes are. Future studies may involve drilling boreholes into the ice sheet, conducting laboratory tests on ice samples, and running more advanced computer simulations.
The findings, published in the scientific journal The Cryosphere, highlight how much scientists are still learning about the hidden dynamics of Earth’s largest ice sheets and their potential impact on the planet’s future coastlines.