CASE STUDY: Greenland - a glacial landscape Flashcards
ice percentage cover
about 80 per cent ice cover
where population lives
Most of its small population lives along the ice free coast, particularly in the southwest, where the population density is only 0.14 people per km
greenlands government
Greenland was granted self-government in 1979 by the Danish parliament, although it remains a Danish territory.
who is made up in Greenlands population
The population is 88 per cent Inult and 12 per cent of European descent, mainly Greenland Danes.
Greenland’s environmental value
Although mostly covered by ice sheet, the land and waters of Greenland support a fragile biodiversity of endemic plants, large mammals such as polar bear, reindeer, Arctic fox and whale, and a diverse range of fish and birds.
These organisms and ecosystems offer important opportunities for scientific research, wilderness recreation, cultural identity and economic exploitatios
what per cent of the total global ice mass does it take up
10 percent
what did the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report
in 2014 they found that the average rate of ace loss from the Greenland ice sheet had increased from 34 gigatonnes per year between 1992 and 2001 to 215 gigatonnes per year between 2002 and 2011 (Figure 233). (One gigatonne is one thousand million tonnes) This means that the Greenland ice Sipet contributed 033 mm per year to global mean sea level rise between 1993 and 2010.
how much would the global mean sea level rise if the whole Greenland ice sheet melted
up to 7m - This would mean that over future centuries many citles such as Boston, Los Angeles, London, New York and Shanghai would flood.
how does Greenland ice play a vital role in regulating global climate via feedback cycles.
Ice has a high albedo, which means it reflects more solar radiation than land. However, current ice loss in Greenland is reducing surface albedo, increasing the amount of solar energy absorbed and further increasing air temperatures. This is a positive feedback mechanism.
Greenland’s cultural value
- Although many Greenlandic Inuit now live in towns, with modern homes and appliances, and work in the growing mining and tourism industries, they still utilise the glacial and periglacial landscape to maintain their traditional lifestyle of hunting fishing and herding. - However, Inuit hunting culture is increasingly threatened by modern culture, by conservationists and by climate change.
- Pressure from environmental groups has led to hunting limits for most species, and the loss of sea ice is reducing the size of hunting grounds.
- Nonetheless, there is an active movement among indigenous people to pass on their traditional knowledge, skills and native languages to the younger generation.
why Greenland ice possesses immense value for scientific research
the Greenland ice sheet contains a unique record of the Earth’s climate history, as it is made up of layers of snow and ice that formed over millions of years. The layers contain trapped gases, dust, pollen and water molecules that scientists can use to study past climates by drilling deep ice cores.
Greenland’s economic value
The glacial landscape of Greenland offers a wealth of economic opportunities. Meltwater provides huge potential for hydroelectric power - the country is thought to have the world’s biggest unexploited hydropower capacity. Furthermore, as the ice retreats it is revealing highly valuable deposits of oil, gas, metals and minerals, including rubies and gold. Tourism also offers another area of economic growth for Greenland, with increasing numbers of cruise liners now operating in the island’s western and southern waters during the peak summer tourism season
Threats to the fragile glacial landscape
- Climate change poses a significant threat to the natural glacial environment, as a result of both ice loss and the opening up of areas for economic exploitation.
- Increased industrial activity, such as oil and gas exploration and marine shipping, will bring stresses to the environment.
- Increased shipping increases the risk of marine pollution Overfishing and the discharge of ballast water into Arctic seas may introduce invasive species that may outcompete and displace resident species
In 2014 why were there protests by conservationists in Greenland’s capital Nuuk
a government decision to reverse a ban on radioactive uranium mining. The decision means that areas in the south of Greenland could be opened up to large-scale mining projects for uranium and rare earth metals. The conservationists feared that the impact of mining extensive deposits in pristine natural environments would be widespread and irreversible. They claimed that radioactive waste from the mining process would endanger fisheries and farmland in the region, both of which are vital for local communities. Southern Greenland is the only part of the island capable of supporting farming.
Polar bears
threatened by climate change and environmental pollution. As the sea lice melts, the polar bear’s hunting grounds are reduced
