Effect of melting water on glaciers only a ‘minor’ worry

The lubricating effect of melting water on glaciers will have only a “minor” role in future sea-level rise, according to new research.

Scientists had feared that melt-water which trickles down through ice could dramatically speed up the movement of glaciers as it acts as a lubricant between the ice and the ground it moves over.

But a University of Bristol team found it is likely to have a minor role in sea-level rise compared with effects such as iceberg production and surface melt.