Satellite picture of the Storstr ømmen and L. Bistrup Br æ glaciers obtained on July 21, 2023, by the Operational Land Imager -2 (OLI-2) on Landsat 9.
Satellite picture of the Storstr ømmen and L. Bistrup Br æ glaciers obtained on July 25, 2023, by the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8.
Seasonal heat caused the fast disintegration of sea ice near the junction of 2 big outlet glaciers.
Summer can be severe on earth’s staying ice. In simply a couple of days throughout July 2023, the seasonal heat caused the fast disintegration of sea ice near the junction of 2 big outlet glaciers in northeast Greenland.
The 2 glaciers–Storstr ømmen and L. Bistrup Br æ– show up in this set of images. Storstr ømmen, the bigger of the 2, determines around 20 kilometers (12 miles) large and streams southward. It accompanies L. Bistrup Br æ, and together their ice extends into fjord waters, forming the southernmost drifting ice tongue in East Greenland.
Ice Disintegration: Images and Causes
The very first satellite image (upper) reveals the area on July 21,2023 A pocket of consistent open water, or polynya, had actually formed within the fjord’s sea ice near the front of the glaciers. By July 25 (lower), the sea ice had actually broken out. Images were obtained by the Operational Land Imager -2 (OLI-2) on Landsat 9 and the OLI on Landsat 8, respectively.
“The likely cause of the rapid disintegration is probably a wind-driven effect when the sea ice was already warm and weak,” stated Christopher Shuman, a University of Maryland, Baltimore County, glaciologist based at < period class ="glossaryLink" aria-describedby ="tt" data-cmtooltip ="<div class=glossaryItemTitle>NASA</div><div class=glossaryItemBody>Established in 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an independent agency of the United States Federal Government that succeeded the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). It is responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research. Its vision is "To discover and expand knowledge for the benefit of humanity." Its core values are "safety, integrity, teamwork, excellence, and inclusion." NASA conducts research, develops technology and launches missions to explore and study Earth, the solar system, and the universe beyond. It also works to advance the state of knowledge in a wide range of scientific fields, including Earth and space science, planetary science, astrophysics, and heliophysics, and it collaborates with private companies and international partners to achieve its goals.</div>" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" > NASA‘sGoddardSpaceFlightCenter“Think of it like a wet paper towel being pulled apart as the winds blew across the area.”
Detail view,July21,2023
Impact ofWarmth
Some of the heat likely originated from(********************************************************************************************************************************************************* )øen Lake at the edge of the glacier junction, noticeable towards the left side of the image above.(****************************************************************************************************************************************** )consistent lake gathers summer season meltwater from the margins of both glaciers. Streams atop the glaciers then bring the dark, sediment-laden water into the fjord, where the water continues to soak up more heat.The polynya grew bigger up until the sea ice broke out onJuly23
Glaciers’UniqueEnvironment
(****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** )from seasonally warm locations, the ocean water nearStorstr ømmen and L.Bistrup(************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** )æ is rather cold. In reality, research study has actually revealed that the shallow shape of the seafloor avoids warm Atlantic water from accessing these glaciers and melting them from below– a typical phenomenon in other places around Greenland.
Historical Changes
Nevertheless, retreat has actually been kept in mind at the glacier’s grounding zones– the area where glacial ice resting on the bedrock starts to drift– given that the mid-1990 s. And the general current retreat of the glacier fronts is most likely associated to thinning of the glaciers through long-lasting procedures such as surface area melting, and their change to the fast advance of Storstr ømmen in between 1978 and 1984.
NASA Earth Observatory images by Wanmei Liang, utilizing Landsat information from the U.S. Geological Survey.
