Fossilized plants discovered a mile beneath Greenland ice sheet

NASA: First Map Of Thawed Areas Under Greenland Ice Sheet
(Image by NASA Goddard Photo and Video)   Details   DMCA

Scientists have made the surprising discovery of fossilized plants 1.4 km beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet. That indicates the island has been ice-free within the last million years – meaning it’s more vulnerable to climate change than we thought.

Now, researchers at the University of Vermont have found something in an ice core drilled from almost a mile beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet. The bottom 4.6 m (15 ft) or so was frozen sediment, complete with plant matter like twigs, moss and leaves. That might not sound like anything too exciting, but the team was expecting to find mostly sand and rock.