Our Melting Greenland team visited Arktisk Station (Arctic Station) in Qeqertarsuaq, the oldest research station in Greenland. Dr. Morten Rasch, the scientific leader who has dedicated 30 years to running this research station, shared with the team how the loss of Arctic ice aggravates global warming.
Rasch said that Arctic sea ice decline will only intensify global warming. In the past, 80% of the sunlight that strikes the bright surface of sea ice is reflected back into space. In other words, sea ice does not absorb that much solar energy, keeping the earth’s surface temperature relatively cool. But now, as more sea ice melts and ice caps shrink, the ocean absorbs 90% of the energy, raising temperatures and setting off a cycle of warming and sea ice declining.
Rasch believes it is important for scientists to work together to fight inevitable climate changes, rather than shifting large amounts of resources to building climate models used to predict future global warming. Scientists should learn how to co-exist in harmony with nature from local residents and traditional culture.
