Climate Change

Greenland's Turning Green! Satellite Images Show Vegetation Gradually Replacing Its Ice, Spark Major Concerns

Russell Glacier and proglacial area, near Kangerlussuaq in west Greenland. The greatest increase in dense wetland vegetation has occurred in this vicinity. (Credit: Jonathan Carrivick) — Russell Glacier and proglacial area, near Kangerlussuaq in west Greenland. The greatest increase in dense wetland vegetation has occurred in this vicinity.
(Credit: Jonathan Carrivick)

Greenland's naming is a fascinating tale of a cunning marketing scheme by Erik The Red, an Icelandic exile who sought to lure settlers to the island by dubbing it "Greenland". However, the irony lies in the fact that the island has actually turned greener over time, albeit for all the wrong reasons.

Since the 1970s, the Arctic region has been warming at double the global mean rate. And now, research from the University of Leeds has offered insight into the profound changes it has triggered across Greenland's terrain, by analysing high-resolution satellite images.

The images paint a sobering picture: over the three decades spanning from the 1980s to 2010s, an estimated 28,707 square kilometres of Greenland's ice sheet and glaciers have melted, surpassing the size of India's northeastern state of Meghalaya. This represents approximately 1.6% of Greenland's total ice and glacier area, lost to the relentless forces of climate change.

Gone are the vast expanses of ice, replaced by rocky outcrops, burgeoning wetlands and swathes of vegetation. Over the study period, vegetated areas expanded by an astonishing 87,475 square kilometres, signalling a doubling of greenery across Greenland's landscape!

The research also reveals a discernible pattern of vegetation growth, concentrated between latitudes 63° north and 69° north, with notable increases in density observed in the southwest, east, and northeast regions of Greenland.

Jonathan Carrivick, one of the study's authors, has emphasised the interconnected nature of these ecological changes, warning of a feedback loop that would perpetuate further ice loss and vegetation expansion.

Comparison between Greenland's landcover classifications for the late 1980s and late 2010s at 30m resolution reveals greening as vegetation coverage expands, especially in the southwest and northeast. (Credit: University of Leeds) — Comparison between Greenland's landcover classifications for the late 1980s and late 2010s at 30m resolution reveals greening as vegetation coverage expands, especially in the southwest and northeast.
(Credit: University of Leeds)

Continued Greening to Spark Red Alerts

Greenland's progressive greening and ice loss carry implications beyond its borders, contributing to local and global climate dynamics.

For starters, the expansion of vegetation would significantly alter the flow of sediments and nutrients into coastal waters, with far-reaching consequences that transcend mere environmental concerns. Indigenous communities, whose cultural heritage and subsistence practices rely heavily on the delicate balance of these ecosystems, will be particularly vulnerable to these shifts.

The degradation of permafrost (a permanently frozen layer below the Earth's surface) could also impact infrastructure, buildings and communities above it.

Then there’s the dwindling of ice reserves, which poses significant challenges in terms of global sea level rise. The retreat of ice will also increase water bodies and expose Greenland's dark bedrock, thereby decreasing the land’s albedo (a measure of how reflective a surface is), causing it to absorb more solar energy and raising surface temperatures in the process.

Moreover, the proliferation of wetlands—analysis shows they have nearly quadrupled in some areas—would amplify methane emissions, further complicating the already intricate dynamics of greenhouse gas dynamics.

In the face of such profound environmental shifts, the imperative to mitigate climate change and protect vulnerable regions like Greenland becomes increasingly apparent, underscoring the need for collective action to safeguard our planet's future.

These findings were recently published in the journal Scientific Reports and can be accessed here.

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