Greenland: A Laboratory For The Symptoms Of Global Warming

GLACIAL ICE SHEET, GREENLAND - JULY 16: Graduate Student, Laura Stevens, (R) from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Sarah Das from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution place a GPS unit into the ice on July 16, 2013 on the Glacial Ice Sheet, Greenland. Their research is part of a team of scientists that is using Global Positioning System sensors to closely monitor the evolution of the surface lakes and the motion of the surrounding ice sheet. As the sea levels around the globe rise, researchers affilitated with the National Science Foundation and other organizations are studying the phenomena of the melting glaciers and its long-term ramifications. The warmer temperatures that have had an effect on the glaciers in Greenland also have altered the ways in which the local populace farm, fish, hunt and even travel across land. In recent years, sea level rise in places such as Miami Beach has led to increased street flooding and prompted leaders such as New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to propose a $19.5 billion plan to boost the citys capacity to withstand future extreme weather events by, among other things, devising mechanisms to withstand flooding. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)