Rain recorded at Greenland’s ice sheet for the first time ever
The horrific consequences of climate change are coming before the world. Last week, the United Nations issued a red code warning for the entire humanity in view of the climate crisis. Its report predicts regular occurrence of extreme destructive weather on Earth in the coming years. Until now, devastating climate events were either being discussed intensely or they were being talked about frequently. But recently, according to the historical record, rain has been seen for the first time in Greenland, where it has always been snowing.
Effects of human-caused global warming
Experts say that the effect of human-caused global warming is already being seen on this island. It rained last Saturday on the island near the North Pole, where it always only snows in the form of precipitation. This clearly shows how the rising temperature in the world has seriously changed the weather patterns in this cold region.
This incident has worried everyone because according to scientists it is a sign of rapidly warming Greenland. According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), this is the third time in less than a decade and the first time this year that the National Science Foundation’s peak station has seen wet snow with freezing point temperatures.
This place is situated at a very high altitude
It has also been told in the statement that before this rain has never been recorded at this place before. This place is at an altitude of 3216 meters above sea level. There has also been a loss of snow mass from the island after the rain, which is believed to be more than seven times the annual average daily loss at this time.
The NSIDC had previously recorded major snow melt events in 1995, 2012, and 2019. These events had never been preceded by a major ice melt since the late 19th century. But the center says that out of 656 thousand square miles of Greenland’s sheet, snow melting occurred in 337 thousand square miles and in three days the sheet received 7 billion tons of rain.
Greenland has lost billions of tons of ice this month
The center says that the reason for the melting of snow on August 14 was the same as the incidents that happened last month. Earlier this month, the Polar Portal warned that Greenland was on track to lose a large part of the ice sheet. The region lost 8.5 billion tons of surface ice on 3 August and another 8.4 billion tons on 5 August.
Why are such incidents happening?
The massive ice loss occurred after a strong low pressure center formed in Baffin Island and high air pressure over southeast Greenland. Due to both the factors, the warm and moist air began to move rapidly towards the south, which caused such incidents. Because of all this, the ice is melting rapidly, increasing the water level of the nearby ocean rapidly.
