Scientists: “warming temperatures really are having an effect on ice in Earth’s cold regions”
April 14th, 2010Researchers from the Arctic Institute of North America began studying the Devon Island ice cap in 1961.
Between 1961 and 1985, the ice cap grew in some years and shrank in others, resulting in an overall loss of mass. A paper published in the March edition of the journal Arctic finds a steady decline in ice volume and area began in 1985, a decline that is now accelerating.
The High Arctic is essentially a desert with low rates of annual precipitation. There is little accumulation of snow in the winter; and cool summers, with temperatures at or below freezing, maintain snow and ice levels. Any increase of snow and ice takes years – and one warm summer can wipe out many years of growth. Though the accelerated melting trend began in 1985, the last decade has seen four years with unusually warm summers: 2001, 2005, 2007 and 2008.
Another recent study finds that ice loss from the Greenland ice sheet, which has been increasing during the past decade over its southern region, is now moving up its northwest coast. The research indicates the ice-loss acceleration began moving up the northwest coast of Greenland starting in late 2005.
The AGU press release quotes study co-author John Wahr:
When we look at the monthly values from GRACE, the ice mass loss has been very dramatic along the northwest coast of Greenland. This is a phenomenon that was undocumented before this study. Our speculation is that some of the big glaciers in this region are sliding downhill faster and dumping more ice in the ocean.
and co-author Isabella Velicogna:
These changes on the Greenland ice sheet are happening fast, and we are definitely losing more ice mass than we had anticipated. We also are seeing this trend in Antarctica, a sign that warming temperatures really are having an effect on ice in Earth’s cold regions.