Formation of the Greenland Ice Cap

On the image you see 5 stadia of the Greenland icecap.

1. 50-10 million years ago. We see an ice-free highland, bordered by coast- mountains. The climate is warm

2. Three mil. years ago. The climate gets cooler. The first glaciers appear in the coast-mountains.

3. Two mil. years ago. The snowfields in the center highland do not melt anymore in summer. A land glacier comes up.

4. This land glacier melts together with the glaciers in the coast mountains to make the icecap which also covers the coastal areas. By the increasing weight of the ice masses, the land beneath is pressed down.

5. After the last ice-age the icecap melts off a little bit, and the coast becomes ice free.