Glacier melt in Greenland threatens Europe's climate stability

Greenland's glaciers are melting at an alarming rate, and scientists say this will have serious repercussions in Europe. The last decade has witnessed extreme ice melt in Greenland.

Research findings published in the "Journal of Climate" by a team from the University of Barcelona highlight dramatic phenomena related to ice melt in recent decades. These episodes are now twice as common as they were between 1950 and 1990, and in the summer of 2012, a staggering 611.2 billion metric tonnes of ice melted, equivalent to around 244 million Olympic swimming pools. In 2019, 562.4 billion metric tonnes melted. For comparison, the average ice melt in the summer from 1980 to 2010 was about 300.5 billion metric tonnes. Experts note that up to 40 per cent of melt episodes in recent decades can be considered extreme, and in the north of the island, this percentage is as high as 50 per cent.

This loss of surface melting ice must be added to the loss from other dynamic processes, such as the calving of glaciers directly into the sea and the flow of glaciers into the ocean. These processes are also accelerated by increased melting, highlight the scientists.

The process of ice melting is directly related to global warming. Studies show that the Arctic is warming four times faster than the planet as a whole, which is a result of greenhouse gases.

Scientists note that increased ice melting is associated with extreme temperature rises caused by the influx of warmer and more humid air masses from northern latitudes. These problems are further exacerbated by the stagnation of air circulation over Greenland during the summer, increased sunlight, and decreased reflection of sunlight by snow and ice.

International climate reports predict a significant increase in temperatures in polar regions, which will accelerate the trend observed in this study, warn the researchers.

The melting of glaciers in Greenland is a major factor contributing to sea-level rise and affects atmospheric circulation patterns, which can impact Europe's climate.

Changes in temperature and precipitation patterns can impact the socio-economic situation and natural ecosystems, and contribute to the increase of extreme climatic events in neighbouring regions of the North Atlantic, state the experts.

This indicates an urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate the effects of climate change in the coming decades, the scientists conclude.