Melting of the Greenland ice sheet is accelerating under the influence of heat waves



The temperature reached 42.6 ° C in Paris, France, on the afternoon of July 25, 2019 (Thursday), recording the highest temperature ever observed. It is reported that this heat wave has moved northward, and this time it is melting the ice sheet of Greenland rapidly. This is closely watched as evidence that climate change is accelerating beyond the 'worst expectations' of climate scientists.

European heat wave is turning Greenland's ice sheet to slush
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/07/greenland-melting-second-time-this-summer-bad/

European heat wave is turning Greenland's ice sheet to slush
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/07/greenland-melting-second-time-this-summer-bad/

Greenland Melts at Never-Before Seen Rates as Heat Wave That Baked Europe Moves North-EcoWatch
https://www.ecowatch.com/greenland-record-breaking-melt-heat-wave-2639610009.html?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1

Greenland melting hits overdrive
https://mashable.com/article/greenland-melting-spike-climate-change/

Greenland, the world's largest island, between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic, has an area of approximately 2.2 million square kilometers, and more than 80% of it is covered with ice sheets and world snow. It has been pointed out that the Greenland ice sheet is melting at an unprecedented rate in the last 350 years of records.

It is reported that the melting of this ice sheet is accelerating under the influence of the heat wave that hit Europe. The temperature of Greenland in the summer of 2019 is 10 to 15 degrees higher than the average year, and there were places that exceeded 23 degrees depending on the location on July 30, 2019.

As for the melting of Greenland's ice, it was July 2012 that it was called 'the worst year ever'. At that time, 97% of the ice in the Greenland ice sheet experienced some melting, and by the end of July it is believed that 250 billion tons of ice sheet had melted. This is enough to raise the sea level by 0.8 mm.

On the other hand, about 7 billion tons of ice melted on July 30 alone in 2019, which is 1.75 times the average. It is said that it is equivalent to 3 billion Olympic size pools . It is thought that more than 12 billion tons of ice melted per day on August 1 th melted into the sea, and depending on the location, melting may be more severe than in 2012. It is expected that about 500 tons of ice will be lost during the first week of August to raise the sea level by 0.1 mm, and 2019 will be recorded as a 'worst year' comparable to 2012. .

The climatologist Irina O'Berrym took a picture of thawed water flowing like a huge waterfall.




Some of Greenland's ice melts to a certain degree every summer when exposed to sunlight. However, even if the ice sheet melts normally, it is said that it is balanced by the snow around it. Freshly accumulated snow shines and reflects sunlight, while old snow coagulates and absorbs the heat of the sun. However, because there was little snowfall during the previous winter, when summer came, there were less new snow reflecting sunlight, and it was said that it was weak to heat.

When the first heat wave hit Greenland in June 2019, 45% of the ice sheet reached its melting point. The ice that was already weak against heat by this was greatly affected by the second heat wave at the end of July.

The ice core records show that there have been only a few occurrences of melting events like this one in the last 1000 years. However, if climate change continues in the future, such events are expected to increase.

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in Science,   Video, Posted by darkhorse_log