Aici un rol important se pare ca il are infiltrarea apei produse vara de topirea superficiala ca urmare a insolatiei la baza calotei, prin adevarate rauri subterane, care favorizeaza alunecarea gravitationala; Groenlanda are un relief destul de muntos sub calota glaciara, ceea ce o face - cel putin local - instabila. In al doilea rand, vecinatatea curentului Gulfstream face clima Groenlandei foarte sensibila la perturbatiile circulatiei generale, orice anomalii de circulatie sudica sau estica in zona aducand advectii calde de mare intensitate si cresteri ale temperaturilor medii in acord. Chiar daca Groenlanda nu a inregistrat cele mai mari anomalii pozitive de temperatura din zona arctica in ultimii 10 ani (ba chiar dimpotriva), faptul ca aici este cea mai mare calota a emisferei nordice face ca efectele oricarei incalziri sa fie sesizabile la nivelul masei de gheata. Este notoriu faptul ca la nivel geologic, Groenlanda este zona cu cea mai mare variabilitate termica la nivelul emisferei nordice, probata incontestabil prin studiul carotelor glaciare. Asa ca a spune ca pierderea de masa glaciara s-a accelerat in ultimii 10 ani nu ma impresioneaza deloc, asta s-a intamplat de multe ori la scara de timp asemanatoare de-a lungul istoriei geologice recente a zonei. Sa nu uitam ca, la urma urmei, termenul de "tara verde" pare ca provine de la culoarea tarmurilor ei, absolut libere de gheturi pe la anul 1000, cand au debarcat vikingii - desi asupra acestui aspect persista inca unele neclaritati

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The name Greenland comes from Scandinavian settlers. In the Icelandic sagas, it is said that Norwegian-born Erik the Red was exiled from Iceland for murder. He, along with his extended family and thralls, set out in ships to find the land that was rumoured to be to the northwest. After settling there, he named the land Grœnland ("Greenland") in the hope that the pleasant name would attract settlers.[37][38] Greenland was also called Gruntland ("Ground-land") and Engronelant (or Engroneland) on early maps. Whether green is an erroneous transcription of grunt ("ground"), which refers to shallow bays, or vice versa, is not known. The southern portion of Greenland (not covered by glacier) is indeed very green in the summer and was probably even greener in Erik's time during the Medieval Warm Period. (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenland)