Greenland’s ice is melting faster than anticipated

Greenland is the world’s largest island, located off the northeastern shores of the American continent. It is now facing one of the biggest challenges of all time. The ice-sheet that covers most of the area is melting much sooner than expected, at a pace six times faster than scientists’ original prediction. Given the large feedback received from scientists from all around the world, these changes threaten severe consequences for the whole planet. Greenland’s glaciers act as “giant containers”, holding a significant amount of freshwater that is now being released and contributing to sea level rises.

According to a team of researchers from the University of Copenhagen, the melting rate in Greenland has drastically increased over the last few years. Data show that the country lost around 600 billion tons of ice just in 2019, the results being much more alarming than the one expected by scientists.

The causes

There are multiple reasons for such a rapid increase in the melting process rate. Climate change is the main one, caused mainly by human emissions of greenhouse gases. Due to global warming, we’ve seen an increase in ice loss all over the world; Greenland, however, is particularly exposed to the phenomenon. The country is, in fact, covered for over 1,7 million square km by an exceptionally large ice-sheet. There is usually a constant balance between the ice and the surrounding climate, but global warming altered it. Higher temperatures actually cause an increase in ice melt, which, therefore, contributes to the sea level rise.

The consequences

The faster melting of glaciers presents many concerning consequences. First of all, the sea level rise threatens coastal communities all over the world. Many cities such as New York, Miami and Venice already suffer the effects of costal flooding, now much more frequent and heavier. Second of all, the significant amount of freshwater released into the ocean could alter the global ocean circulation, with unpredictable consequences on the climate. Taking Greenland alone into consideration, if the trend is not reversed a global sea level rise between 13.5 and 15.5 mm, equivalent to the amount released by Greenland in the last 50 years, is expected before 2100.

Moreover, ice reflects sunlight, decreasing heat absorption. When ice loss occurs, however, more heat is absorbed by the dark waters, thus increasing global warming. This creates a positive feedback loop where climate change causes ice melting, which then speeds up the warming process. 

According to the Interngovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), if the ice-sheet in Greenland were to melt completely, the sea level could rise by more then 7 meters, causing extensive damage worldwide. It should be also taken into consideration that the conditions of Northeast Greenland are common to other areas of the ice-sheet. As of today, the accelerated melting affects each one of the 8 largest glaciers of the region; in just a few years, 7 of them showed a significant retreat of the grounding line, which is where the ice mass stops floating and is attached to the rock.  

The international and European stance

It is of vital importance for the international community to take immediate action and face this crisis. A drastic reduction of greenhouse gases emission is necessary, and new adaptation policies should be employed for the protection of the territories, first of the artic region, then on a global scale. The international agreements, such as the Paris Climate Accords of 2015, aim to keep the average global temperature well below the 2°C rise above pre-industrial levels. However, a greater effort should be made to reach these goals and protect the balance of our ecosystem. At the same time, it is important to handle the impacts of Greenland’s ice melting phenomenon on the local area, preserving coastal communities and researching sustainable solutions for life in a scenario with higher sea levels, for example.

For this reason, the European Commission’s Community Research and Development Information Service (CORDIS) observed that researchers have started to examine current legislation concerning coastal defence and assess vulnerabilities. For instance, they discovered that current design criteria for limiting water flow over the crest of coastal infrastructures are not compatible with a scenario where waves will be significantly higher. In this perspective, the EU-funded DURCWAVE project aims to solve the issue, developing long term solutions for strengthening coastal defences against storms and rising sea levels. Even though an intervention plan for preventing the glaciers mass loss in Greenland has started, new forms of strategic protection must be created. Should the trend not be reversed, the glaciers in Northern Greenland could significantly contribute to sea level rises with severe consequences for the whole ecosystem. 

Translated by Elisa Bruni

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