Ice melt in Greenland has doubled since the mid-20th century, leading to significant global and regional climate consequences, including risks to Europe’s weather, highlighting the critical need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Global warming is causing the ice in Greenland to melt at an increasingly alarming rate, posing a serious threat to both the Arctic and the global climate as a whole. The new study, conducted by the University of Barcelona, ​​shows that extreme melt events (periods of rapid snow and ice melt) have become almost twice as frequent in the summer months in the last decade compared to the period 1950-1990.

A study published in the Journal of Climate The American Meteorological Society shows that the highest extreme melting years in the last decade were observed in Greenland. For example, 610 gigtons of ice (equivalent to 244 million Olympic basins) melted in the summer of 2012, while 560 gigtons (224 million Olympic basins) melted in 2019.

The research was carried out by the Department of Geography’s Arctic and Alpine (Antalp) Antarctic Research Group. Josep Bonsoss and Mark Oliva, teachers and researchers at the Faculty of Geography and History, Juan Igasio Lopez-Moreno, researcher at the IPE-CSIC Institute of Ecology (IPE-CSIC), and Xavier Fetweiss from the University of Liezh (Belgium).

Studies on the dynamics of ice melting

Researchers analyzed extreme melting events in Greenland between 1950 and 2022. The results show that meltwater loss reaches an average of 300 gigtons per year, the equivalent of approximately 48 million Olympic basins per year. 1980 and 2010. Additionally, approximately 40% of melting events in recent years have been extreme. In the coldest regions in the north and northwest of the island, this figure rises to 50 percent.

“The loss of melt at the glacier surface must also be coupled to other dynamic processes such as iceberg breakup directly into the sea and glacier flow into the ocean, both of which are accelerated by increased melting,” the UB researchers wrote. he adds. .

Increased risk of ice loss

The phenomenon of ice melt is directly related to global warming, and recent studies have shown that the Arctic is moving four times faster than the average earth rate due to increased greenhouse gases. The study authors explain that “melt intensification is closely linked to extreme temperature events caused by more frequent, warmer, and humid anticyclone air masses originating from northern latitudes.”

“These atmospheric patterns keep the air over Greenland stagnant during the summer months, increasing solar radiation and reducing the albedo (sunlight) of snow and ice, further accelerating warming and melting,” they added.

According to UB researchers, melting is occurring in higher parts of the icy cap where ice melting had not previously been observed between 1950 and 1990. This causes cracks and other structural changes in the icy shield, as well as increasing the risk of large blocks of ice. Entering the ocean. “International climate reports show a significant increase in temperature in the polar regions, which will accelerate the trend we observe in this study,” the researchers said.

Global Consequences and Climate Changes in Europe

Melting ice in Greenland has global consequences; because this makes a major contribution to sea level rise and also affects atmospheric circulation. According to researchers, these changes may also affect Europe’s climate. “These changes in temperature and precipitation can affect socio-economic activity and ecosystems and contribute to increased climatic extremes in neighboring regions of the North Atlantic,” experts say.

Additionally, the researchers warn that projected climate scenarios point to an increase in the following events: “This highlights the urgency of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to soften the effects of climate change in the coming decades.”