Thursday, April 17, 2014

Climate Change Impacts and Mitigation

Sea ice has a major impact on albedo in the Arctic region.  The positive NAM/NAO phase is connected with drier winters in western Greenland.  Many models show a decrease in the Arctic ice volume over the past few decades.  In many models there has been a stable increase in northern high-latitude temperatures.  These simulations show that the annual mean of Arctic warming is well beyond the global warming average by about 2 in the models.  It is predicted that by the end of the century, the annual warming of the Arctic will be 5 degrees Celsius.  Seasonal extent of temperature is greater over water due to the melting ice caps in the summer.  It is predicted that by the end of the century, the mean warming range will be 4.3°C to 11.4°C in the winter and 1.2°C to 5.3°C in summer.  Some models show an increase in precipitation by the end of the century.  There is a 5% precipitation increase for every one degree increase in temperature; the greatest increase will be over the Arctic Ocean.  At the end of the century, the annual mean precipitation in the Arctic will experience a change of 10% to 28%, with the largest increase in winter months. 

The main issues surrounding the Arctic region are the decline of glaciers and ice sheets, the decrease in coastal surface area and decline in sea ice.  In Greenland, due to major declines in ice sheets there will be numerous reductions in coast lines and low-lying areas.  This will cause many economic concerns, including but not limited to, population relocation.  Temperatures in this region have risen 1-4 degrees Celsius causing an average rise of 4-6m in sea level.  If Greenland’s ice sheets were to completely melt the increase in sea level would be 5m.  The average rise of the sea level can lead to many complications apart from population relocation, it can cause a reduction in freshwater rivers causing a shortage in freshwater.

Climate change is casing many complications in the Arctic region.  It is expected that albedo will decrease; there will be a larger accumulation of carbon and methane causing permafrost to melt.  However, there have been models that show that in some parts of the Arctic there has been an increase in prosperity among wildlife and plants.  The impact that climate change will have on fisheries in the Arctic will both be harmful and beneficial.  It was noted that the decline in Arctic ice sheets have led to better marine access but detrimental effects to organisms dependent upon the ice sheets.  In the past few decades the average surface temperature of the Arctic has increased at almost double that of the global rate.  Warming in the Arctic is most extreme in the winter and the spring.  As a result of the decline in coastal ice sheets, there have been an increase in storms along the coast.

The most interesting and detrimental threat to Greenland is the melting of the polar ice sheets.  This has a major impact on the sea level, as the ice sheets melt the average ocean level rises causing coastal flooding, which could severely impact communities in that area.   Apart from that, many organisms in Greenland rely on the ice sheets to maintain their livelihood.  Another major concern is the melting of permafrost which can create an unstable infrastructure, and also cause population relocation.  Also, with the decline of coastal areas, there is a threat of freshwater sources being contaminated, which could limit the amount of fresh water available to the region.  Many of these issues surrounding the melting of the ice sheets have significant economical complications.


The image above illustrates the decline in ice sheets over the Greenland region from 1992 to 2002; this is a direct result of climate change.

Although, this image might be a bit of an exaggeration of current conditions in Greenland, it nonetheless illustrates the impact the melting ice sheets have on the habitats of certain species in that area.

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Severe Weather in Greenland


A tornado is a fast rotating narrow area of low pressure that forms during strong thunderstorms.  The first part of the tornado is the vortex tube, which is rotating body of air on the ground; this is a direct result of vertical wind shear.  The air is then lifted off the ground from the updraft of the thunderstorm, once the air mass is almost vertical it is considered a mesocyclone; as the mesocyclone stretches the air mass starts to rotate faster.  Tornadoes usually travel from southwest to northeast because in the northern hemisphere because they are influenced by the prevailing wind direction, which also flows in that direction.  In the Unites States alone there is an average of 1,151 tornadoes.  In Greenland, however, there are no tornadoes; this is indicated in the map below by the lack of shading over the Greenland region.  Also, according to the map below, it is apparent that Greenland is not located in any global “hotspot” of tornado activity.  A good assumption as to why there has been an increase in tornadoes over the past 30 years could be attributed to global warming.  Tornadoes need atmospheric energy in order to develop and sustain itself; as the average temperature of the Earth increase the energy level as a result also increases, providing perfect conditions for tornadoes to develop more frequently.


In order for there to be hurricane formation there needs to be warm ocean temperatures to initiate evaporation, usually greater than 80 degrees Fahrenheit; a deep ocean layer of warm water so that when the wind stirs up the water the hurricane will still be maintained by warm water, and Coriolis to initiate the spinning of the hurricane.  Hurricanes that occur in the Atlantic or East Pacific are called hurricanes, hurricanes that occur in the Indian Ocean near Australia are called Cyclones and hurricanes that occur off the cost of China by Indonesia are called Typhoons.  The diagram below illustrates the different regions across the globe that is affected by hurricanes and their respective names.  In the U.S, hurricanes usually travel westward turning up North and then East this is because they are affected by the trade winds which also move from East to West.  In Greenland there are no hurricanes, as apparent in the map below.  This could be due to the fact that the water surrounding Greenland is below freezing and not warm enough to generate any hurricanes.  In the U.S there is an average of 5 hurricanes per every 3 years, that comes out to about 1.6 hurricanes every year.

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Daily Weather in Nuuk, Greenland

Greenland’s capital city is Nuuk.  The 5-day forecast for Nuuk will cover the following days: March 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th and 25th.  The forecasted high for the 21st is 14 degrees Fahrenheit, the forecasted low is 9 degrees Fahrenheit and the precipitation percentage is 0%  The forecasted high for 22nd is 16 degrees Fahrenheit, the forecasted low is, 8 degrees Fahrenheit and the precipitation percentage is 0%  The forecasted high for 23rd is 13 degrees Fahrenheit, the forecasted low is 7 degrees Fahrenheit and the precipitation percentage is 0%  The forecasted high for the 24th is 14 degrees Fahrenheit, the forecasted low is 9 degrees Fahrenheit and the precipitation percentage is 30%  The forecasted high for the 25th is 15 degrees Fahrenheit, the forecasted low is 10 degrees Fahrenheit and the precipitation percentage is 10%

As apparent from the image there is no cloud coverage over Nuuk, Greenland (indicated by the red mark).  However, South of the capital Nuuk, there seems to be large cluster of high and cold clouds-indicated by the blue on the map.  It is fairly normal for Nuuk to not have any cloud coverage during this time because typically on the 24th of March, Nuuk experiences the clearest sky of the year.  Usually, the cloud coverage in Nuuk is around 87% annually.  The terrain of Nuuk is characterized by a barren rocky coast, with various inlets connecting from the ocean.
The region this map illustrates is Eastern Canada; this is the closest region to Greenland.  Over this region there are low pressure systems.  There is also the presence of an occluded front that connects with a warm front.  An occluded front is when a cool front overtakes a warm front.  This is correct as it is apparent that the occluded front emerges from the warm front that is over the ocean.  A warm front is when temperatures change from cold to warm after a frontal passage.
The region this map illustrates is North America, and even though it is broader in range, it provides a better picture of weather patterns in Greenland.  Over the Greenland region there are high pressure systems.  Over the Northeastern part of the North America there are low pressure systems with warm and occluded fronts.  More towards the central part of North America there are cold fronts and the western part of North America is characterized by high pressure systems and stationary fronts.  Like on the eastern coast of North America the western coast is characterized by low pressure systems and occluded fronts emerging from warm fronts.  

Friday, March 14, 2014

Global and Local Winds in Greenland

The latitude and longitude coordinates of Greenland are 72.0000° N, 40.0000° W.  Greenland is located in Northern hemisphere, just slightly above North America.  The atmospheric cell that encompasses Greenland is the Polar cell in the Northern Hemisphere.  The prevailing wind direction is from the Northeast, specifically from the North Polar area.  Greenland is characterized by the polar easterly wind belt.  The main pressure belt that Greenland is located on is the subpolar low pressure belt.   Greenland is also located near the polar front.  This is an area that is characterized by low pressure and is the boundary between the polar cell and the ferrel cell; it is also where tropical air converges with cold polar air causing a large incline in temperature.

Greenland is located on the subpolar low, this is where surface air converges and rises as a result there are many storms and clouds in this region.  The Northern part of Greenland, because it is located in the polar high is characterized by cold and dry air.  The Southern part of Greenland, because it’s located in the polar low, is characterized by warm and moist air.  The prevailing winds that are common in Greenland are the polar easterlies that come from the northeast, as a result cold air moves across Greenland making the average temperature sub-freezing.  Windward winds are also common in Greenland.  Since Greenland is located near the polar front this area is characterized by an incline in temperature.

Greenland is characterized by many mountain ranges some include: Gunnbjorn's Fjeld, Mont Forel and Mount Patuersoq.  Valley winds, katabatic winds, Chinook winds, Santa Ana winds, and Desert Winds are all common winds associated with Mountain ranges.  Greenland’s mountain ranges however, only experience Chinook winds, katabatic winds and valley winds.  The two types of coastline breezes are land breezes and sea breezes.  The most common type of coastline breeze in Greenland is sea breeze.  These winds are very strong in the morning, and common in the fjord region, a narrow inlet with steep cliffs.

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Typical Weather and Tourism in Greenland

Greenland is located in the Northern Hemisphere, so its winter solstice is on December 21st.  During this month the average high is 24 degrees Fahrenheit and the average low is 17 degrees Fahrenheit.  These temperatures can be compared to the current temperatures experienced in northeast of the continental U.S.  The most common form of precipitation during this period is moderate snow.  However, light snow is also common during the beginning of the month.
The Summer solstice in Greenland is on June 21st.  During this month the average high is 44 degrees Fahrenheit and the average low is 35 degrees Fahrenheit.  The most common type of precipitation during this period is light rain.  However, moderate rain is common earlier in the month. Temperatures during the summer solstice there can be compared to winter temperatures in the northwest of the continental U.S.
The spring equinox occurs on March 20th in Greenland.  During the month of March, the average high is 21 degrees Fahrenheit and the average low is 13 degrees Fahrenheit.  Spring is when the worst weather in Greenland is experienced, as apparent from the temperature range.  The most common type of precipitation during this period is heavy snow.  However, moderate and light snow is also common at the beginning and end of the month. 
The autumn equinox in Greenland is on September 23rd.  During the month of September, the average high is 42 degrees Fahrenheit and the average low is 36 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures during the autumn equinox are fairly similar to temperatures during the summer, so the autumn and summer is when the best weather in Greenland is experienced.  The most common type of precipitation during this period is moderate snow.  However, light to moderate rain is also common.
Dreading the sweltering summer heat?  Well then, dig out those wool sweaters, and escape to Greenland, where its winter all year round!  As apparent from the information above, the best time to visit Greenland during the year is in the summer.  Specifically, the best months are July and August, as that is when the temperatures can get as high as approximately 50 degrees Fahrenheit.  During this period Greenland is characterized by flourishing nature as the snow recedes and plant life starts to emerge. Common tourist activities, during the summer months include whale watching and sailing.   

Picture of Greenland during the summer.

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Temperature Controls in the city of Nuuk in Greenland

This blog post will examine the climate and weather of the capital city of Greenland, Nuuk.  A great deal of this post will deal with how certain temperature controls, including but not limited to, altitude and geographic position affect the weather and climate in which Greenland is characterized by.  Lastly this blog will dive into the effects climate change has on the future weather and climate conditions of Greenland and what controls will ultimately be affected.

The capital city of Greenland is Nuuk.  It is located on the southwestern coast of Greenland; to be precise its latitude and longitude coordinates are 64.1750° N, 51.7389° W.  Other characteristics of Nuuk are that, its warmest time of the year is during the month of July with an average temperature of 45 degrees Fahrenheit.  Its coldest time of the year is during the month of February with an average temperature of 16 degrees Fahrenheit; the annual range of temperature for Nuuk is 29 degrees Fahrenheit.

A temperature control that affects Nuuk is geographic position, specifically by windward gusts.  This moderates the land temperature so there isn't a big fluctuation throughout the seasons.  It allows for cool summers and moderate winters.  However this is not necessarily the case since Greenland is located at high latitudes this causes the average temperature to be lower than it would if it was located at lower latitudes with the same windward gusts.  A temperature control that doesn’t affect Nuuk is altitude.  The city of Nuuk is located by the coast and roughly a little above 200 ft above sea level so the temperature is often regulated due to the wind or ocean currents rather than to height. 

Based on the physical characteristics of Greenland and the consistent increase in the world’s average temperature, it’s apparent that the future climate of Greenland will have dire consequences. It is very possible that in the future due to an increase in the world’s average temperature, the ice sheets, that are characteristics of Greenland, will melt.  This will cause an increase in the sea level and as a result coastal areas will become submerged, decreasing the average surface area of the island as a whole.  Apart from that, the increase in temperature will cause a disproportionate distribution of the seasons, with an increase in summer months.  As a result of the increase in the summer period, the average temperature of the island will rise, giving way to more decrease in ice sheets.

It is apparent that Greenland’s climate and temperature are affected differently by different temperature controls.  The capital city, Nuuk, as discussed is mainly affected by geographic position but not nearly as much as by altitude.  In the future, if global temperatures continue to warm, cities like Nuuk, that lie on the coast, could cease to exist as ice sheets continue to melt and increase the ocean levels.