Greenland Loses Nearly 29 Thousand km2 of Ice and Glaciers, Replaced by Wetlands and Bushes

In the vibrant city of Madrid, scientists have been diligently studying the drastic changes that have taken place in Greenland over the past three decades. A thorough analysis of historical satellite records has revealed that 28,707 square kilometers of Greenland’s ice sheet and glaciers have melted. This extensive loss is equivalent to the size of Albania and represents about 1.6 percent of Greenland’s total ice and glacier cover.

What was once a white, icy landscape is now predominantly barren rock, wetlands, and bush areas. This transformation is not just physical, but also ecological, as the melting ice gives way to new ecosystems.

A dedicated team of researchers from the University of Leeds has been actively tracking these changes in Greenland from the 1980s to the 2010s. They have found that the warmer air temperatures are the primary cause of the ice retreat. This retreat is not without consequences, as it directly impacts Earth’s surface temperature, greenhouse gas emissions, and landscape stability.

Warming climate degrades the Permafrost

The permafrost, a frozen layer beneath the Earth’s surface, is also being impacted by the warming climate. It is being “degraded” and in some areas, scientists warn that it could pose a threat to the infrastructure, buildings and communities that reside above it.

The researchers’ findings have been published in the authoritative journal, Scientific Reports. The study highlights the pressing issue of climate change and its wide-ranging effects.

Greenland, though sparsely populated with almost 57 thousand people, is significant due to its vast size of around 2.1 million square kilometers. Most of this territory is covered in ice and glaciers. However, since the 1970s, the region has been warming at twice the global average rate. Specifically, in Greenland, average annual air temperatures between 2007 and 2012 were 3 degrees Celsius warmer than the average from 1979 to 2000.

These findings are alarming, and researchers warn of more extreme temperatures in the future, which could expedite the melting of ice and glaciers.

Jonathan Carrivick, an earth scientist at Leeds School of Environment and a co-author of the study, said, “Warmer temperatures are directly linked to the land cover changes we see in Greenland. By analyzing high-resolution satellite images, we have been able to produce a detailed record of these changes.”

Ice loss was most noticeable at the edges of today’s glaciers, and particularly in the north and southwest of Greenland. Other regions, including the West, Midwest, and Southeast, also experienced high levels of ice decline.

Over the three decades, the amount of vegetated land increased by 87,475 square kilometers. This increase was most pronounced in the southwest, east, and northeast. The largest concentration of dense wetlands occurred in the vicinity of Kangerlussuaq, in the southwest, and in isolated areas in the northeast.

According to Carrivick, “We have seen signs that ice loss triggers other reactions that result in further ice loss and more ‘greening’ of Greenland. The shrinking ice sheet exposes bare rocks that are then colonized by tundra and eventually shrubs.” This cycle of ice loss and vegetation increase is likely to continue as the climate continues to warm.