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Greenland Ice Sheets - 2021 Artic Report Card - National Oceanic and…
Greenland Ice Sheets - 2021 Artic Report Card - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Albedo and bare ice area.
Contributors of low albedo
snow cover loss reveals bare ice: strong albedo shift.
Snow grain growth (larger grains reflect less light)
organic & inorganic material: back carbon, microbes
High albedo
fresh snow: reduced melt potential.
Greenland ice sheet faced total mass chnage from 1 Sept. 2020 to 31st Aug. 2021 of -85(+or-) 16Gt, 179 Gt less than 2002-21 average of -264(+or-) 12 Gt yr-1
Characterised by 02-21 surface melting.
Occured in a long August period of increased melt and bare ice exposure contrasiting with low June and July melt conditions.
Ice sheets in Greenland have now lost mass almost every year since 1998, record losses include that of 2012 and 2019.
August of 2021 had to atmospheric anomalies, these created the Extreme August Melt Event.
Early August, persistant high-pressure conditions centered over ice sheet promoted enhanced melting .
Increased solar radiation also promoted the melting of ice sheets.
August 21’ melting was also influenced by enhanced disruption and increased sinuosity of the polar vortex.
August extreme melt 2021
high levels of snow melt meant that the atmosphere high more moisture therefore resulting in high levels of rainfall
first time rainfall had been reported since 1989 at the Summit Station
more than half the sheet experienced surface melt in 2021
Figure data
august 15- sep15 2021 experienced the fastest melt than any other year
mass ultimately decreasing but not as quick of a rate of previous years
albedo effect below average of 0.79 in 2021