Further, they determined that freely available organic compounds (such as simple carbohydrates) made up 62 percent of the dissolved organic carbon exported from the glacier surface through streams. They therefore conclude that microbial communities are the primary driver for bioreactive dissolved organic carbon production and recycling on glacier surfaces, and that glacier dissolved organic carbon export is dependent on active microbial processes during the melt season.

Professor Alexandre Anesio from the Bristol Glaciology Centre, said: "This study provide strong evidence that photosynthetic microbes at the surface of the ice produce large amounts of good quality carbon that is released in the runoff during the summer.

"This bioreactive carbon has the potential to be utilised by bacteria in downstream environments, which in turn can increase the turnover of nutrients and productivity of downstream ecosystems.

"For a few years now, we have known that certain types of algae can grow well on ice surfaces and this study take us one step further to demonstrate that this active ice microbial community can also change the chemical composition of the ice and the water that leaves the Greenland ice sheet."

Professor Martyn Tranter, also from the Bristol Glaciology Centre, said: "Considering the abundance and distribution of algae in certain regions of the ice sheet, we have been hypothesising that they would have a strong influence on the delivery of bioreactive carbon from the ice.

We are now currently demonstrating through the Black and Bloom project that these algae can also influence the darkening of the ice, which generates additional melting during the summer."

Professor Anesio added: "This demonstrates that glaciers and ice sheets should be considered as one of the biomes of Earth because they are a clear example of large scale ecosystems that have specific forms of life that can modify the physical and chemical environment that they live in."


Story Source:

Materials provided by University of Bristol. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

M. Musilova, M. Tranter, J. Wadham, A. Anesio et al. Microbially driven export of labile organic carbon from the Greenland ice sheet. Nature Geoscience, April 2017
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University of Bristol. "Microbes on ice sheets produce bioreactive carbon that is exported to downstream ecosystems." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 3 April 2017. <www.sciencedaily.com>

I apologize, the article is not complete for some reason.

That actually makes more sense than cow farts are causing it...

Next, we need to find out why now. What changed. After all, if this is all about how good ice fields are at generating their own demise, why did they ever exist at all?

I think it's just global weather patterns... The earth is over 4 billion years old, and we have about 100 years of weather research... At one point, the entire earth was covered in ice, at another point the Sahara desert was a lush Greenland...

Yes. But again, each version of Earth was CAUSED to change. We think we've figured out some of the causes. Some of them have been rather unpleasant. And since human existence is still 100% dependent on THIS ONE planet being habitable to us, I think it's rather important that we don't simply blink twice, say "ah well, stuff happens!" and then pop another beer open.

I'm seeing balance of a large scale ecosystem.

Interesting article. Thanks

I agree... Science is about study, not greedy people who lie to make some money.... But what they've found out points to earth changes, like a slight tilt to the earth, the ambient temperature of the space we are in, how many volcanoes are erupting at one time... Mainly stuff we cannot control... But yes, lots more study is needed, and maybe a solution can be found... The dinosaurs lived for 100's of millions of years without ever worrying about it tho...

I agree with Moe.
This was in our local paper today.
ICELAND
Solheimajokull glacier receded about 2,050 feet between 2007 and 2015.
ALASKA
Forward edge of Mendenhall glacier outside of Juneau receded 1,800 feet between 2007 and 2015
SWITZERLAND
Stein glacier about 1,800 feet between 2006 and 2015
SWITZERLAND
Thrift glacier nearly 3/4 of a mile between 2006 and 2015
PERU
Ohio State scientist Lonnie Thompson has visited the Qori Kalis glacier since 1974. Between 1978 and 2016 it has shriveled 3,740 feet.

I would be worried more about WW3 ( the holy war) then global warming at this time

my thinking is that's a secondary reason why the democrats are pushing it so much, as a distraction while they shuffled muslims around the world....

True

The war will happen. Muslim terrorists are (and have been) attacking non Muslims.. worldwide. A constant attack. Relentless. The time will come where non Muslims have had enough.

These constant attacks can not go in forever, unchecked in whole.

Why?, because you have 2 entities that will not( and cannot) change. Both sides are not going to change their core belief.. their religion to satisfy the other.

The biggest problem is with the current movement.

Muslims have been migrating and moving into historically non Muslim countries in mass. Many good... many not.

So when this war does start we will be fighting in abroad and also in our back yards ( against the bad ones) in every continent

i'm not going to worry about "good or bad" ones if this war starts...