Melting Fast

Frederikshaab region Greenland, 9-23-24 (credit: Copernicus Sentinel-2)

The European Space Agency (ESA) operates a series of Earth monitoring satellites known as Copernicus Sentinel-2. Their 3rd member in this class of environmental monitors was launched from French Guiana in South America recently.

According to the ESA, on September 22nd this year, air temperatures in the small village of Narsarsuaq in southern Greenland reached a record night time high of 60°F. This represented the hottest night in the area's recorded history and one of the highest minimum temperatures ever recorded on the gigantic ice covered island. The high temperatures were not a one-time anomaly but continued over several more days as well. Narsarsuaq recorded a maximum air temperature of 66.9°F the next day while a second nearby town reached 62.4°F.

During the past 30 years, the Arctic has been warming at a pace faster than the global average. Such rising temperatures reduce snow and ice cover increasing the amount of open land that can absorb heat and can create a feed-back loop further reducing the amount of ice cover. New fjords are emerging along the Greenland coast. The previous two years have been among the warmest years in Greenland on record and this year is following that trend. Expect more coastline to emerging from under the ice. WHB

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