Cracks in the Ice: Greenland’s Warning Signs
New crevasses on Greenland’s ice sheet show us that even the farthest frozen lands are speaking out—climate change is already here.
Greenland’s Melting Ice: What Crevasses Tell Us About Our Changing World
Climate change impacts everyone on Earth. More often than not, however, we tend to overlook its impact on some of the most isolated corners of our planet. So, let’s talk about the damage that is being inflicted right now on the Greenland ice sheet, one of the largest sheets of ice on Earth.
In just five years, scientists have found that about 930 million cubic meters of cracks, called crevasses, have appeared on this ice sheet—an amount so large, it’s like adding a crack the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza every few days. Insane comparison.
But first, what exactly are crevasses? Think of them as deep cracks in the ice, similar to cracks that form in dry mud (except much colder). These cracks happen when the ice is squeezed, stretched, or heated. When the sun warms the ice or when warm air touches it, the ice starts to melt a little. This melting can slowly thin the ice and weaken it, causing it to crack open. As you could probably guess, climate change is impacting the size of these crevasses and the frequency in which they occur.
Why Do They Matter?
Crevasses might sound like just a cool feature on a snowy mountain. Unfortunately, they have some pretty dire implications on the pace of climate change. The Greenland ice sheet functions like a giant freezer that cools our planet. When our freezer begins to leak, however, there are some really bad things that can happen to the food inside (everything and everyone that lives on Earth represents the food in this metaphor). The extra water from the melting ice sheet can lead to floods, hurt homes near the coast, and even change the way nature works in many parts of the world.
Impact On Arctic Wildlife
Polar bears, seals, and Arctic birds are some of the many, many animals that rely on the blanket of ice for hunting, breeding, and shelter. When the ice becomes unstable and breaks apart, these animals lose their homes and their hunting grounds.
Let’s start with the beloved polar bear. This mammal heavily relies on the ice as a platform to hunt for seals. As the ice melts and cracks open, polar bears must travel farther and work harder to find food. This can lead to lower survival rates, especially for young cubs who depend on their mothers for food. Seals, which rest and breed on the ice, also find fewer safe places to live, making them more vulnerable to predators. This is clearly a lose-lose situation, taking two birds with one stone.
Even birds, like Arctic terns and various species of waterfowl, are affected. These birds often nest on stable ice or in areas near the ice. When the ice is constantly breaking apart, their nests can be destroyed, and the birds might be forced to find new nesting grounds far away from their usual habitats. This disruption can affect their breeding cycles and even the number of young that survive.
The changes in the ice also alter the whole food chain in the Arctic. When the ice melts, it affects the growth of tiny algae that live on its surface. These algae are a crucial source of food for many small animals, which in turn feed larger animals like fish and birds. With fewer algae, the entire ecosystem can suffer, making it even harder for larger animals like our polar bear to survive.
What Does This Mean for Our Future?
Scientists are continuing to study Greenland’s ice sheet because they know that if the ice continues to melt and form more crevasses, the rising sea levels could have a huge impact on the rest of the planet. Coastal towns might be at risk of flooding, people would be forced inland, and we would lose many of our pristine beaches. Rising seas can also lead to problems like saltwater getting into freshwater sources, which can make drinking water unsafe (and lead us down a whole different path of problems).
In terms of the economic impact, rising sea levels can threaten coastal infrastructure and industries like agriculture, tourism, and fisheries. The cost of adapting to these changes—whether through building sea walls, relocating communities, or overhauling agricultural practices—could be enormous. My point is clear: the changes observed in Greenland are not isolated; they are intertwined with the stability of all the systems we have built and rely on to this day.
The Point
The growing crevasses on Greenland’s ice sheet are not just cracks in the ice—they are signs of a warming world and a call to action. As the ice melts and sea levels rise, communities all over the world could be affected. It is a big problem, but by learning about it and taking small steps in our daily lives, we can all be part of the solution to help slow down climate change and protect our planet for the future.
Remember, even though Greenland is far away, what happens there affects everyone on Earth. It shows us that we need to work together to keep our world safe and healthy for all living things. Thank you for sticking around till the end.
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This is so sobering. I have just retuned from a birding trip around Marion Island. Climate change is also impacting this remote part of the world. Due to increasing temperatures. vegetation is changing but even worse, mice on the island are breeding even more. They eat the birds threatening their survival. My heart breaks.
Must move back into concordance with Nature asap, no?
I wonder if we asked the aboriginal peoples of the world what they thought about climate change whether some might respond by calmly reinforcing that it’s always changing, or if there would be any too in tune to even recognize it as a thing.
Seeing articles like this, though, helps me remember the animals are being displaced too; and so, perhaps we should be helping steward the living beings of our home planet through this time of change, instead of grinding our gears against it (though admittedly easier said than done in many cases!).
All the best,
R