The noise created by the Earth’s movements has been used to build up a detailed picture of the geological conditions beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet and the impact on ice flow, in new research. The team studied Rayleigh waves — seismic waves generated by movements such as earthquakes — to produce high-resolution images of the rocks underneath the ice sheet, helping to identify which areas are most susceptible to faster ice flow. It will give us a better understanding of the processes that contribute to accelerated ice discharge into the ocean and the consequent sea level rise.
