Scientists in Greenland have identified evidence of a hidden process within the ice sheet that could help explain how this mass moves at depth and influence models used to predict future changes in polar ice caps and sea level.
Deep structures challenge the traditional view of ice.
The discovery involves large, plume-like spiral formations buried deep within Greenland’s vast ice sheet. These structures had puzzled researchers for over a decade, with no solid explanation for their origin.
Now, scientists at the University of Bergen in Norway claim to have found an explanation by applying mathematical models similar to those used to study the slow separation of continents over time. Their work suggests that these formations may be linked to a process of thermal convection within the ice.
According to the research, this thermal convection corresponds to a slow, circular movement caused by temperature differences between deeper and more superficial layers. This type of dynamic is usually more associated with heat flow in the Earth’s mantle than with the behavior of large ice masses.
Andreas Born, a professor at the Bjerknes Center for Climate Research and the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Bergen, stated that the finding contradicts the most common way of thinking about ice. According to him, ice is normally seen as a solid material, which makes the observation that parts of the Greenland ice sheet can undergo thermal convection surprising.
Thermal convection appears as an explanation for the hidden movement.
Born, who has been studying ice sheets in the Northern Hemisphere for over 15 years and is a co-author of the study, likened the phenomenon to behavior comparable to a pot of boiling pasta. The comparison was used to illustrate the fact that parts of the ice can slowly move at depth, despite their rigid surface appearance.
The study’s lead author, glaciologist Robert Law, also highlighted the unusual nature of the discovery. According to him, the idea that thermal convection can occur within a layer of ice goes against intuition and the most common expectations about this material.
Law stated that, although it seems unexpected, physics supports this behavior. According to the researcher, ice is at least a million times softer than the Earth’s mantle, which allows the same physical laws to apply, even in a context he considers an “aberration of nature.”
The study was published in the journal The Cryosphere and was selected as a “featured article” due to the relevance attributed to the work. The research is titled “Exploring conditions conducive to convection in the Greenland ice sheet” and was published on February 13, 2026.
What does the study indicate about the Greenland ice sheet?
The results suggest that the ice deep in northern Greenland may be about ten times softer than previously thought.
The team investigated whether the large, plume-like structures seen inside the ice sheet could be explained by thermal convection, and what this would reveal about the softness and movement of the ice.
According to the researchers, these structures are likely produced by a slow process of internal agitation, driven by temperature differences. This conclusion reinforces the hypothesis that the interior of the ice sheet is not static, but subject to more complex physical mechanisms than previously thought.
However, the authors emphasize that the fact that deep ice is softer does not automatically mean it melts faster. Law stated that improving our understanding of ice physics is important for increasing the reliability of projections about the future, but cautioned that more studies are needed to completely isolate this issue.
He emphasized that, by itself, softer ice does not necessarily mean that sea level rise will be greater. The caution expressed by the authors accompanies the assessment that the study expands knowledge about the internal dynamics of the ice sheet, but does not allow the discovery to be transformed into a direct signal of an immediate acceleration of melting.
Impact of the discovery for future models and predictions.
According to Andreas Born, the main contribution of the work lies in its potential to improve the scientific models used to calculate the mass balance of the polar ice caps and project future sea level rise. He believes the discovery could be crucial in reducing uncertainties in these projections.
Since softer ice influences the flow of the ice sheet, the results may help refine predictions about how these large ice masses will behave in the coming decades. The study does not present the discovery as evidence of an impending crisis, but as a relevant step toward understanding a complex natural system.
Law noted that Greenland often appears in the news for topics related to mining, geopolitics, and climate concerns. In this case, however, he stated that the main significance of the research lies in revealing the complexity and dynamism of the ice sheet.
The researcher also highlighted Greenland’s unique characteristics, stating that its nature is special and that the local ice sheet is over a thousand years old. According to him, it is the only ice sheet on Earth that has culture and a permanent population on its margins, which reinforces the importance of understanding the hidden processes that occur within this system.
An international team participated in the research.
The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Bergen, through the Department of Earth Sciences and the Bjerknes Center for Climate Research. The research also involved collaboration with experts from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, the University of Oxford, and ETH Zurich.
In addition to Robert Law and Andreas Born, the work includes contributions from Philipp Voigt, Joseph A. MacGregor, and Claire Marie Guimond. The publication focuses on analyzing the conditions that favor convection within the Greenland ice sheet and the implications of this process for the softness of deep ice.
According to the authors, the greater the knowledge about the processes hidden within the ice, the better prepared we will be for changes that could affect coastlines around the world.
A researchThis places Greenland at the center of a new front of scientific research into the inner workings of large ice sheets.