Greenland - 3 Flashcards
Give an example of a retreating glacier and describe its retreat.
Jakobshavn Isbrae glacier. It is the fastest moving glacier in the world, moving at 14km/year in 2006 from 7km/year in 1985. Since 1851, it has retreated over 40km.
Describe how the melt has affected the economy.
The melting ice has unveiled many natural resources, mostly minerals. Many countries, such as China have staked claims for Greenland’s resources and the rights to mine for fossil fuels and minerals. The economy of Greenland is increasing as the government receives payments from the stakeholders.
Describe the social impacts on Greenland due to the melt.
A mining boom in Greenland may see the population increase from 56,000 to over 200,000. This could be culturally disruptive for the Inuit, though may provide increased economic investment for businesses.
Inuit may be forced to move or change lifestyles if fish stocks continue to dwindle.
Describe local responses to Greenland’s melt.
In the hunting village of niaqornat, young people are leaving in groups in search of employment. This is due to the shortening hunting seasons, as ice melts quicker and forms later.
Less ice makes it harder to commute through sled dogs, thus some hunters have been forced to kill their own dogs, and/or change to boat etc.
Give an example of a response using spatial technologies to Greenland’s melt.
In 2015, NASA launched a five year campaign called Oceans Melting Greenland (OMG). The campaign’s main goal, is to assess how marine glaciers to react to the presence of warm, salty Atlantic water. NASA will be using a G-III aircraft to deploy 250 temperature and salinity probes along the continental shelf in order to measure the volume, extent, of arm, salty Atlantic water. OMG will also use the G-III aircraft to fly a Glacier and Ice Surface Topography Interferometer, in order to generate high resolution, elevation measurements of Greenland’s coastal glaciers during spring.
State how fast Greenland’s ice sheet is melting per day.
State a positive impact as a result of the melting.
1km3
The melting ice has uncovered land that is rich in minerals, particularly rare earth.
