Since 1970 the air of Greenland it has warmed twice the world average. This has caused the ice to begin to melt and be replaced by plants and, what is worse, the heating process -and its consequences- accelerate rapidly.
In fact, According to a study published this Tuesday in Scientific Reports, it is most likely that even more extreme temperatures will be recorded in the future.
The research, carried out by scientists from the Leeds Universityin Englandhas analyzed the changes in Greenland from 1980 to 2010 and has confirmed that the warming of the air is causing the ice to retreat which, in turn, has an impact on the temperature of the Earth's surface, greenhouse gas emissions and the landscape.
Greenland, part of the Arctic region, is the largest island in the world, cIt has an area of approximately 1.3 million square miles, most of which is covered in ice and glaciers, and is home to 57,000 people..
According to the study, based on satellite data, between 1980 and 2010, The region has lost 17,837 square miles of ice from its glaciers (equivalent to the size of Albania)and about 1.6% of the total ice cover.
The biggest problem is that the permafrost –a permanently frozen layer beneath the Earth's surface – is being “degraded” by warming and, in some areas, it could even affect the infrastructure, buildings and communities that exist on it, the authors warn.
But in addition, the loss of ice in these decades has been concentrated on the edges of the current glaciers, but also in the north and southwest of Greenland, as well as in some areas of the west, center-northwest and southeast.
Total, In those three decades, the area of vegetated land has increased by 54,354 square miles, more than doubled during the period studied.
“Warmer temperatures are linked to the land cover changes we are seeing in Greenland”explains Jonathan Carrivick, from the Leeds School of Environment and co-author of the study.
“We have observed signs that ice loss is triggering other reactions that will lead to further ice loss and further 'greening' of Greenlandwhere the contraction of the ice exposes bare rock that is then colonized by tundra and, finally, by bushes,” he points out.
“At the same time, the water released by melting ice moves sediments and silt, and this ends up forming wetlands and swamps.”
The study explains why Ice loss affects Earth's surface temperatures: Snow and ice reflect solar energy hitting the Earth's surface., which helps keep it colder. As the ice recedes, it exposes bedrock, which absorbs more solar energy and raises the temperature of the Earth's surface.
In a similar process, As ice melts, the amount of water in lakes increases.. Water absorbs more solar energy than snow and this also increases the temperature of the Earth's surface.
Wetlands are a source of methane emissions and, according to the study, Greenland wetlands have almost quadrupledespecially in the east and northeast in the period analyzed.
“The expansion of vegetation and especially in humid areas indicates but also exacerbates the thawing of permafrost, the thickening of the active layer and, therefore, emissions of greenhouse gases previously stored in these arctic soils”say the researchers.
But the expansion of vegetation, which is replacing glaciers and ice sheets, “is significantly altering the flow of sediment and nutrients into coastal waters,” says lead author Michael Grimes.
These changes are “critical” for indigenous populationswhose traditional hunting practices depend on the stability of these delicate ecosystems and also on global sea level rise, “a trend that poses significant challenges both now and in the future.”