While The World Is Battling Rising Seas, Greenland Is Facing An Unusual Problem
Sea levels across the world are seeing a rapid rise as a result of melting glaciers, caused mainly by climate change. Cities and towns near the coastal areas are also facing the risk of constant flooding and damage to homes and infrastructure. Scientists have also warned that without urgent action, these changes might threaten the ecosystem in ways that could be irreversible. However, while much of the world struggles with rising sea levels, Greenland is surprisingly facing an opposite scenario; its land is actually rising. In the last decade, certain areas of Greenland have risen about 20 centimeters, which is around 2 meters every 100 years.
Researchers from the Technical University of Denmark analyzed this process and published the findings in a study titled, ‘Vertical Land Motion Due To Present-Day Ice Loss from Greenland's and Canada's Peripheral Glaciers.’ The study was published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. As per the study, the reason behind the ground rising phenomenon was quite straightforward. As the ice sheet of the area melts, the heavy weight on the land is gone, allowing the ground to slowly bounce back. It can be understood by looking at a simple example of how a sponge reacts when you press it.
Geodesist Shfaqat Abbas Khan spoke about this and said, "The land uplift we observe in Greenland these years cannot be solely explained by the natural post-ice age development. Greenland is rising significantly more." As reported by Science Alert, he added, "With our data from GNET, we can precisely isolate the part of land uplift caused by the current global climate changes." The GNET Network includes 61 GPS stations that constantly monitor Greenland’s coastline. These devices track every minor shift in the land, even as small as a millimeter, giving scientists precise data on how the ground is changing over time.
Another geodesist, a PhD student, and a lead author of the study, Danjal Longfors Berg, also said, "These are quite significant land uplifts that we can now demonstrate. They indicate that local changes in Greenland are happening very rapidly, impacting life in Greenland. It also affects Greenland's map, as new land emerges from the sea, giving rise to new small islands and skerries over time." This strange natural phenomenon is another good example of how climate change is dramatically changing the Earth's delicate landscapes on a massive scale.
Meanwhile, if the greenhouse gas emissions continue to grow at their current rate, scientists warn that the consequences will be severe. By the end of the century, an estimated 73 million people could be victims of regular flooding and forced evacuations, as reported by Earth.com. One of the major examples of this is Panama, which is facing the impact of rising seas. Research by the country’s Climate Change directorate, together with Panamanian and Spanish universities, has predicted that by the end of 2050, about 2% of Panama’s coastal land might be submerged, and the effects are already visible. Therefore, it is very important to support policies that promote cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions.
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