Greenland's Ilulissat Glacier Recedes 7 Kilometers In One Year - AFP

[hatrack]

The Ilulissat glacier in Greenland, a UN heritage site considered one of the wonders of the world, has shrunk by over 10 kilometers in just a few years, in one of the most alarming examples of global warming in the Arctic region. "We are witnesses to one of the most striking examples of climate change in the Arctic," US expert Robert Corell said during a recent helicopter flight over the glacier.

The lower extremity of the glacier "has receded by more than 10 kilometers (six miles) in two or three years after having been relatively stable since the 1960s," he said.

Corell was in charge of the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment, a 1,400-page report written by more than 250 scientists and published in November 2004 which sounded alarm bells for the region. The report warned that less than a century from now, the Arctic ice could melt completely during the summer, threatening many species and the lifestyle of the indigenous Inuit population.

Corell, a senior fellow with the American Meteorological Society in Washington D.C., took 22 environment ministers and other officials from around the world, meeting in Ilulissat last week for a conference on global warming, on a tour of the glacier to see the effects first-hand. "We can't find any more concrete example of Arctic warming, which is twice as fast as in any other part of the world," Corell told AFP. He said the glacier shrank by seven kilometers (4.3 miles) in a 12-month period from 2002 to 2003.

EDIT

http://www.terradaily.com/2005/050822093824.z02b5ign.html

[ramapo]

1. Stunning

That's a lot of water. I'd say we're past the point of mitigation. I wonder when this will become apparent to the masses?

[Oerdin]

2. This is alarming but.

Historically when the Vikings landed in Greenland during the medieval warm period Greenland was about as warm as it is now. That means our current conditions have existed in the recent past.

The problems really happen if we continue to sit on our hands and let things get even worse.

[Pooka Fey]

3. Regarding global warming...I remain unconvinced by this data.

Hey...that was kind of fun.:evilgrin: