Iceland is experiencing one of its hottest summers, with temperatures exceeding 26 degrees Celsius on May 15. According to the scientific network World Weather Attribution (WWA), this extreme heat is a result of global warming and has caused Greenland’s ice sheet to melt 17 times faster than the historical average.The Arctic region is among the most affected by global warming, heating up four times faster than the rest of the planet since 1979, according to a 2022 study published in the scientific journal Nature.These findings come as global leaders shift their attention to Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark. In the past, US President Donald Trump expressed interest in acquiring the mineral-rich island.The primary factor of global warming is the burning of fossil fuels for electricity and transportation, which releases pollutants like carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This has caused the planet to warm at an unnatural pace. The Arctic remains one of the fastest-warming regions on Earth.Friederike Otto, associate professor in climate science at Imperial College London and one of the authors of the WWA report, told AFP, “The melting rate of the Greenland ice sheet, from a preliminary analysis, is 17 times faster. This means the Greenland ice sheet’s contribution to sea level rise is significantly higher than it would have been without this heat wave.”“Without climate change, this would have been impossible,” she added.The WWA also noted that May temperatures in Iceland were record-breaking, more than 13 degrees Celsius higher than the 1991–2020 average May daily maximum. According to the report, record highs observed in Iceland and Greenland this May could recur once every 100 years.
Global impact of Arctic ice melt:
Otto warned that extreme weather events can affect everyone. As the Greenland ice sheet melts, it releases vast amounts of freshwater into the salty oceans. Scientists warn that this may slow the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC)—a vital ocean current that moves water from the Gulf of Mexico across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe and then the Arctic.A slowdown of this current could significantly disrupt global climate and weather systems.In addition to altering ocean currents, melting glaciers and ice sheets contribute directly to sea level rise, threatening to flood coastal areas worldwide and submerge low-lying island nations, particularly in the Pacific Ocean.For Greenland’s indigenous communities, warmer temperatures and melting ice affect their traditional hunting practices, threatening both livelihoods and cultural heritage.Climate change also affects infrastructure in Iceland and Greenland.“In Greenland and Iceland, infrastructure is built for cold weather. During a heatwave, ice melt can lead to flooding and damage to roads and other critical infrastructure,” the WWA report stated.