#Greenland is getting greener. That could have huge consequences for the world
By Angela Dewan, CNN
Published February 13, 2024
"Warmer air temperatures have driven #IceLoss, which has in turn raised land temperatures. That has caused the melting of #permafrost, a frozen layer just beneath the Earth’s surface and found in much of the #Arctic, and that melt releases planet-warming #CarbonDioxide and #methane, contributing to more #GlobalWarming. #PermafrostMelt is also causing #LandInstability, which could impact infrastructure and buildings.
"'We have seen signs that the loss of ice is triggering other reactions which will result in further loss of ice and further ‘greening’ of Greenland, where shrinking ice exposes bare rock that is then colonized by tundra and eventually shrub,' one of the report’s authors, Jonathan Carrivick, said in a press release. 'At the same time, water released from the melting ice is moving sediment and silt, and that eventually forms wetlands and fenlands.'
"The loss of ice is creating what’s known as a #FeedbackLoop. Snow and ice typically reflect the sun’s energy back into space, preventing excessive heating in parts of the Earth. But as ice disappears, those areas absorb more solar energy, raising land surface temperatures, which can cause further melt and other negative impacts.
"#IceMelt also increases the amount of water in lakes, where water absorbs more heat than snow, which increases land surface temperatures.
"Greenland has been warming at twice the global mean rate since the 1970s, and the study’s authors warn that more extreme temperatures in the future are likely.
"Greenland is the world’s biggest island and is mostly covered by ice and #glaciers. Around 57,000 people live in the country, which is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark. Much of the population is #indigenous and many people there rely on natural #ecosystems for their survival.
"Michael Grimes, the report’s lead author, said that the flow of sediments and nutrients into coastal waters was particularly problematic for #IndigenousCommunities that rely on fishing, as well as for hunters on other parts of the island.
"'These changes are critical, particularly for the indigenous populations whose traditional subsistence hunting practices rely on the stability of these delicate #ecosystems,' he said.
"'Moreover, the loss of ice mass in Greenland is a substantial contributor to #GlobalSeaLevelRise, a trend that poses significant challenges both now and in the future.'"
https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/13/climate/greenland-ice-loss-vegetation-climate-intl/index.html
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