Login With Google
Record melt of Greenland Ice
Why is it in News?
- Greenland lost record level 586 billion tonnes of ice in 2019.
Details:
- Its far more than the yearly average loss of 259 billion tons since 2003 and easily surpasses the old record of 511 billion tons in 2012.
- The climate crisis is heating the Arctic at double the rate in lower latitudes, and the ice cap is the biggest single contributor to sea level rise.
- Greenland Ice sheet:
(1) The Greenland ice sheet is roughly 79% of the surface of Greenland.
(2) It is the second largest ice body in the world, after the Antarctic ice sheet.
(3) The thickness is generally more than 2 km and over 3 km at its thickest point.
(4) The mean altitude of the ice is 2,135 metres (7,005 ft).
(5) If the entire Greenland ice sheet melts, sea level would rise by six metres.
- Reasons for melting:
(1) The scientists attributed the extreme ice loss in 2019 to “Greenland Blocking” of weather that kept warm air over Greenland for longer periods.
(2) Snowfall in Greenland was low in 2019, also due to the blocking pattern, meaning relatively little new ice was added.
- Greenland Blocking:
(1) A high-pressure zone over Greenland is often referred to as a “blocking” pattern.
(2) It slows the flow of weather systems circulating around the Northern Hemisphere. So it got name ‘blocking’.
(3) A negative NAO (North Atlantic Oscillation) is often an indicator of a Greenland block.
(4) It forces more melting of ice.
- Since meltwater is freshwater, it dilutes the salt content of the surrounding ocean, which contributes to slowing the Gulf stream system.