Iceland is now rising as its glaciers start to melt, according to scientists from the University of Arizona.

Researchers placed some 62 global positioning devices around the country. Data revealed the land is beginning to bounce back from the weight of the melting ice. These highly sensitive pieces of scientific equipment can detect the slightest movement as small as 1/25th of an inch every year.

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Researchers were surprised when they discovered the entire surface of Iceland is rising at a fast and unprecedented rate of 1.4 inches every year. This movement began some 30 years back when the region started to suffer from significant warming triggered by climate change.

According to Kathleen Compton from the University of Arizona, this research provides a strong link between the recent uplift of the island nation and the accelerated Icelandic ice sheet and ice cap melt.

The theory that land rises when glaciers melt has been known for ages. This study, however, is the first to find evidence that this faster land uplift is linked to faster ice formation melting. This study further sheds light on deglaciation in the past or if recent ice loss produced this accelerated land uplift.

Data taken from the GPS presents evidence of an increasing uplift rate. The analysis shows this movement is caused by significant glacier loss from rising temperatures since the 1980s.

This accelerated land rise was first observed by geoscientist Richard Bennett from the University of Arizona in 2013 from a station at the center of Iceland. His team also found data from other stations located in different areas of the island that yielded a similar result and also determined the cause of the uplift.

The areas with the highest land uplift were the areas farthest from the ice caps, which suggest the ice loss deposits are causing this change in land altitude.

The last significant deglaciation Iceland suffered was about 12,000 years ago. This caused the volcanoes in the island to become 30 times more active. This study will be published in the journal, Geophysical Research Letters.

TagsIceland is Now Rising Due to Glacial Melt, Iceland, glacial melt, global warming, iceland rising melting icecaps ice sheets glaciers