24 Aug 2021 Rainfall on the ice peak of Greenland

Rainfall on the ice peak of Greenland

Context

1. For the first time, rain has fallen on the ice peak of Greenland.
2. Rain fell for the first time on record at the highest point on the Greenland ice sheet last week. 
3. This is another troubling sign of warming for the ice sheet, which is already melting at an increasing rate.
4. It’s not good to have water on ice. It makes the ice sheet more vulnerable to melting on the surface.
5. Water is not only warmer than snow, but it is also darker, allowing it to absorb more sunlight.

The rise

1. Sea levels are rising as a result of this meltwater flowing into the ocean. 
2. Greenland’s ice sheet, which is the world’s second-largest behind Antarctica’s, has already contributed to nearly 25% of global sea level rise in recent decade
3. As global temperatures rise, this percentage is predicted to rise.

Recordings

1. On August 14  rain poured for many hours above the ice sheet’s 3,216-meter peak, where temperatures were above freezing for roughly nine hours. 
2. The ice cap’s temperatures usually seldom rise above freezing, yet they have done so three times in less than a decade.
3. From August 14 to August 16, Greenland received 7 billion tonnes of rain, the most since records began in 1950. 
4. Rain and high temperatures caused widespread melting around the island, which saw a seven-fold increase in surface ice mass loss on August 15 compared to the usual for mid-August.

Earlier stats:

1. In late July, Greenland had a huge melting episode, with enough ice melting in a single day to cover the United States state of Florida in 2 inches (5 cm) of water.
2. Both the melting and the rain last week were caused by air circulation patterns that resulted in warm, wet air covering the island for a short time.

The major concern:

1. The worrying rain at Greenland’s peak is not an unusual event.
2. It is one of several “alarm bells” signalling the need to cut greenhouse gas emissions alongside rising floods, fires, and other extremes.

Source: The Hindu

Syllabus: GS3 (Environment)

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Yojna IAS Current Affairs Team