Greenland ice loss rates 'one-third' of what was thought

Being wrong by 65% is embarrassing. Exact science my butt.

The rate at which ice is disappearing from Greenland and Western Antarctica has been seriously overestimated, according to new research.

Measuring a disappearing ice cap is actually quite difficult to do, as the areas in question are remote, hostile environments and the exact depth of ice is often unknown. This has caused a lot of argument among climate scientists regarding how much ice is melting and running into the sea, as this affects predictions of sea-level rise and other aspects of climate modelling. (Floating sea ice, like that which makes up most of the Arctic cap apart from Greenland, is less of an issue as its melting doesn't affect the sea level.)