Scientists have discovered how quickly Greenland will melt. Area of ​​Greenland, climate, population, cities, flag Greenland average temperatures

There are many different states on our planet, differing in language, culture and other characteristics. But there are very few of them that are located on islands and are either separate countries or broad autonomies. The area of ​​Greenland allows us to consider it the largest isolated state today located on our planet. But this is not the only circumstance stimulating tourists.

Basics

Where is Greenland? Its shores are washed by two and the Atlantic.

The island is located close to the Eurasian continent. Theoretically, Greenland is an integral part of Denmark, but in fact it is a large autonomy that has fairly broad rights in the field of self-government. The basic information is as follows:

1. The total area of ​​Greenland is 2,166,086 sq. km, but of all this “wealth” only 340 thousand km ₂ are suitable for life, since there is no ice on them.
2. The island is home to 57 thousand inhabitants, 90% of them are Inuit, the “titular” nation, whose representatives have lived here since time immemorial. Therefore, the population of Greenland is quite homogeneous.
3. The capital is located in a city with the name Nuuk, which is unusual for a European.
4. Greenlandic has been the official language since 2009; before that it was supplemented by
5. The flag of Greenland is a red and white circle on the same background. The color scheme follows the symbolism of Denmark.
6. The only official currency is the Danish krone.

If you want to call someone in Greenland, the dialing code is (+299).

When was it opened?

But when this amazing island, which rivals Antarctica in its weather hospitality, was first discovered?

The first known mention dates back to 875. The island was discovered by the Icelander Gunbjorn. It is interesting that he only described his find, but did not leave any exact maps or other instructions, since he did not go ashore. At that time, few people knew where Greenland was, and this discovery did not arouse much interest. Times were turbulent then, the Vikings gradually conquered new territories...

Only in 982 on the shore of this amazing land Another Icelander, Eirik Rowdy, got off for the first time. It was he who gave the name to the island. Thus, active development of this area began.

Colonization of the island

In 983, the first Icelandic colonies were founded and lasted until the mid-15th century! True, in fairness it is worth adding that the climate in those days was, oddly enough, milder. Therefore, it was no coincidence that Greenland was called a “green country”, because the summer lasted longer and the air temperature was higher.

So there were a lot of people who wanted to “move for permanent residence”. For four centuries (from the 13th to the 17th) this land belonged to Norway, but later came under Danish jurisdiction. In 1814, the Danes finally terminated the union (something like a unity agreement) with the Norwegians, and became the sole owners of the island. In 1953, Greenland was officially given the status of “Part of the territory of the Kingdom of Denmark,” but the residents of the “green country” themselves do not really agree with this.

The history of the colonization of the island by the Vikings is interesting and mysterious. From 983 until the mid-12th century they were very active, organizing many of their own settlements. But then suddenly something happened, soon the settlements fell into desolation, and the Vikings moved away from these shores. What happened?

Until recently, a lot of hypotheses were put forward, even the most absurd. But a few years ago, climatologists managed to lift the veil of secrecy. As mentioned earlier, from the 10th to the 11th centuries AD, the climate on the island was much milder, the warm period lasted longer, and in some places on the coasts, according to ancient manuscripts, wheat even ripened. Then there was a sharp cold snap, because of which the Vikings chose to leave here.

The political governance of this unrecognized country is carried out by the parliament and the prime minister. In addition, the population of Greenland has the right to elect two representatives who voice the interests of the islanders in the Danish parliament.

Official acquisition of independence

A referendum held on November 25, 2008 secured independence for this territory. The fact is that the population of the island spoke in favor of numerous and significant changes in legislation. In particular, it was then that Greenlandic became the only language, and the judicial and executive authorities acquired complete independence. Today we can rightfully consider that the flag of Greenland flies over independent country. However, independence also brought negative consequences - Denmark stopped subsidizing more than $600 million annually into the island’s economy.

Officially, all the provisions of the referendum came into force in mid-2009, and since then the entire area of ​​Greenland is actually a full-fledged and relatively autonomous state. It is noteworthy that with the European Union local residents relationships don't work out.

Formally, the island still remains part of Denmark, but it is not part of the EU. Since its creation, the islanders have strongly opposed the prospect of joining a united Europe. This is explained simply: most likely, Greenland in this way defends the independence of its own fish resources, which, otherwise, both Norway and Denmark could immediately lay claim to. The political situation in these parts is quite complex, and in some aspects even tense.

Economy and tourism

The economy of present-day Greenland is based on fishing. Of course, there is hope for the extraction of minerals, since there are deposits on the island. However, tourism, which some supporters of the complete independence of this territory really rely on, is poorly developed. The main reason is the harsh climate, and the cost of the excursion does not arouse much enthusiasm among tourists. So Greenland is a young country, but hardened by difficulties.

Air travel and other transport

The complexly named Kangerlussuaq is home to the area's largest airport, based around a Cold War-era US Air Force base. Despite its apparent modesty, the size of the airport is sufficient to accommodate even international flights.

In addition, you can get to the island using ferries from Hurtigruten. Cities in Greenland itself are also connected by an extensive ferry network. If you need speed, you should use the services of a small air carrier, Air Greenland, which owns several aircraft and a couple of dozen transport helicopters.

There are no roads for cars on the huge island, about 150 kilometers (and even those are in cities). In general, Greenland is not a car country. In total, about three thousand cars are registered here, mainly SUVs and off-road vehicles.

Major cities

Nuuk (in the distant past the city was called Gothob) is the capital of Greenland, which was founded in 1728 by Danish missionaries. This is the most large city island where the local government sits. Residents of this amazing place they joke that this is also where summer residence Santa Claus. Considering Greenland's location on the map, there is some truth to this statement.

Ilullissat (former name Jakobshavn) is located on the shores of the bay with the “incendiary” name Disco. But this place is harsh, since clean water is rarely seen due to the abundance of icebergs. By the way, at least 1/10 of all icebergs that can be seen in the coastal waters of Greenland are born in these parts. Perhaps this city is perhaps the only one that can boast of a regular influx of tourists.

This is due to the unreal beauty of the local icy mountains, which attract spectators from all over the world. Many tourists only found out where Greenland is on the map because of this.

Kangerlussuaq is founded near the glacier of the same name. This is where the most major airport in Greenland. Literally within the city limits you can constantly see entire herds of deer. Foxes are also often seen on the streets. If you drive just 25 kilometers to the side, you can see the beautiful Russell Glacier.

Qaqortoq (the old name of the city sounds like Yulianekhlob) was founded back in 1775. More recently, not far from the city limits, archaeologists stumbled upon the remains of a Viking settlement with a church that dates back to the beginning of the tenth century. In the town of Unartok you can swim in hot thermal springs, and also admire an exhibition of sculptures made from local stone.

Umanak is one of the most unique settlements in these snowy regions. It lies far beyond the Arctic Circle, but at the same time there is a maximum number of sunny days. From May to August, the sun does not set in these places at all, and therefore tourists have a lot of free time, which can be spent on a thorough inspection of the surrounding area. The small town has a wonderful museum containing many artifacts telling about life in Greenland.

Attractions

It is not difficult to guess that almost all local attractions are of natural origin. For example, only here can one appreciate the size and grandeur of icebergs, one of which caused death the legendary Titanic. In general, Greenland is covered with ice by about 80%, and its thickness reaches three kilometers. Considering that the area of ​​Greenland in square meters. km is 2,166,086, it is not difficult to understand what a cyclopean amount of frozen snow is located here!

Scientists have calculated that if they melt only local ice(not to mention Antarctica), then the level of the World Ocean will rise by at least seven meters. And it seems that everything is heading towards this. But due to warming, scientists regularly manage to make unexpected discoveries: in 2005, researchers were able to find a new piece of land, which was called the “Warmed Island”. It is located a couple of hundred kilometers from the coast of Greenland. Scientists suggest that over the past 20-30 years, the ice bridge that connected it to the island simply melted.

In the easternmost part of Greenland is Mount Gunnbjorn. Its peak towers over the island for more than 3.5 kilometers. And this is only the part that goes beyond the centuries-old thickness of ice! The world's longest fjord, Scoresby Sound, is nearby. This strait bites into the thickness of the land for 350 kilometers at once!

Sermeq Kujaleq glacier. Perhaps, this is the only reason you can visit the “green country”. In 2004, UNESCO officially included this “ice” in the list. But why such an honor? Considering that the area of ​​Greenland in square meters. km is quite large, and 80% of it is ice, isn’t there a lot of attention to one glacier? It turned out that no, since it is truly unique.

Its area is more than three thousand square kilometers, and every year more than 40 thousand cubic meters of ice break off into the waters of Disko Bay. The glacier itself looks like a grandiose river of pure ice, which crawls along the surface of Greenland at a speed of about 40 centimeters per day. When the tip of the ice formation reaches Disko, the Greenland ice breaks off from it.

Climate in Greenland

The climate here is harsh - arctic and marine subarctic. In the center of the island it gives way to the Arctic continental. Adding to the complexity are cyclones, due to which the weather can change almost instantly. Here the temperature constantly “jumps”, and the winds change direction several times an hour. Since the ice in these parts covers an area larger than the whole of Great Britain, its excessive weight causes subsidence of the crust, so that the central parts of the island are 360 ​​meters below (!) the sea surface. Therefore, Greenland, whose climate is harsh and unstable, prefers strong-willed and hardy people.

Weather characteristics

Winter is characterized by constant cyclones and precipitation large quantity precipitation. However, the temperature is quite acceptable: in December it rarely drops to -8 °C. In January on the coast - from −7 °C. The situation is different at the southern tip, where in winter the temperature is constantly recorded at −36 °C. In February, the weather is not at all pampering, reaching −47 °C (the absolute minimum is −70 °C). Simply put, some regions of Mars tend to be significantly warmer!

The best time to visit these regions is from May to June. If you really want winter, but temperatures below -50 degrees are not appealing, you can plan your trip for mid-April. In spring it’s simply wonderful here: there are no frosts as such, and a northern tan is guaranteed. The air temperature rarely drops below -10 °C. What will please tourists the most? big island- Greenland - in summer?

Also snow, which is not uncommon here in June. In summer, the weather here becomes completely unpredictable. Winds reaching speeds of 60-70 m/s are not uncommon. Best time to visit the island - from mid-July to early September. The days are getting longer and the tundra is becoming incredibly... beautiful place: millions of flowers bloom here and delicious berries appear.

Still, for what period should we plan the “discovery” of Greenland? The answer is obvious: it all depends on the weather preferences of tourists.

The area of ​​glaciers and ice cover in Greenland is larger than Germany, France, Spain and Italy combined. If all its ice melts, sea level will increase by about 7 meters.

A new analysis of Greenland's temperatures will help reveal how quickly the vast island ice sheet is melting. It was previously found to have been declining since 1900, and annual ice loss has doubled since 2003.

Greenland settlement. LouieLea | Shutterstock

To determine how quickly island ice is melting now and will melt in the future, data on surface air temperatures in the past and present are needed, report researchers Jack Reeves Eyre and Hubin Deng from the University of Arizona (USA).

“It is critical to understand Greenland's future in the context of global climate change, as its condition significantly impacts sea levels,” said lead author Reeves Eyre.

Calculating the average annual surface temperature over all of Greenland is difficult. For much of the 20th century, the only weather stations were located along the coast. There was no intra-island network of weather stations in Greenland until 1995.

Other groups of researchers have used combinations of weather station data, remote sensing satellites, statistical analyzes and climate models to calculate the Earth's annual surface temperature before 1901. However, there are significant discrepancies in these analyses.

LouieLea | Shutterstock

Knowing Greenland's past temperatures is important for improving climate models, as scientists test regional and global climate models to see how well they represent what the climate was like in the past.

Previous analyzes have produced conflicting results, with some reporting that the 1930s were warmer than today, while other analyzes have found the opposite.

To get a more accurate estimate of temperatures in the 20th century, scientists compared 16 different analyzes from 1901 to 2014 and used additional information from weather stations and field expeditions. “This is the first time we've put all these data sets together,” Deng noted.

To avoid bias in the results due to temperature differences at different altitudes, the scientists divided the temperature data into three categories: coastal areas, areas below and above the level of 1500 meters.

Coastal areas of Greenland are ice-free all year round. At intermediate altitudes, glaciers and ice sheets melt in summer and refreeze in winter; but due to rising temperatures, their annual decline occurs. At an altitude of more than 1500 meters, ice usually does not melt and may even gain mass. However, this small increase does not compensate for the loss of ice at lower altitudes. The new study resolves previous discrepancies and provides the best estimate of Greenland's past temperatures.

"By examining the wide range of available data and combining the two best analyzes ( MERRA2 And GISTEMP), we have developed a combination that most accurately reflects the temperature distribution across Greenland from 1880 to 2016, Reeves Eyre emphasized. “Using this dataset is the best way to evaluate climate models and their prediction of temperature change across Greenland.”

While some previous analyzes suggest that the 1930s were warmer than now, the new analysis shows that current temperatures are warmer than in the 1930s. And in the long term, according to the authors, Greenland is expected to rise in temperature to unprecedented levels.

Article entitled Evaluation of Greenland near surface air temperature datasets was published July 5 in the open access journal The Cryosphere. The research was supported by NASA, the US Department of Energy and UA Agnes Nelms Haury Program.

Climate in Greenland

The climate here prevails...

Greenland: the land of eternal ice.

Greenland is a country of contrasts. In the summer, the sun shines here 24 hours a day, and in the winter, it suddenly flares up across the entire horizon. northern lights. So when is it worth visiting the land of eternal ice?

Climate in Greenland

The climate here is dominated by subarctic marine and arctic. And the continental Arctic is characteristic of the ice sheet region. Quite often the island is crossed by cyclones, which very dramatically change the climate in Greenland. This is how constant temperature changes occur, strong winds blow and precipitation falls. The ice here covers a colossal area, more than 10 times the size of Great Britain. The weight of this ice forces the earth's crust to subside, forming a concave-shaped basin that reaches a depth of 360 m below sea level. Icebergs constantly float near the coast and are constantly in motion.

Weather in Greenland in winter

Greenland is considered the Kingdom of seals, walruses, and whales. Tourists are attracted here by Greenlandic settlements and villages, the unique Inuit culture, their history and way of life. Weather in Greenland in winter is famous for its arctic climate. The island is surrounded mostly by cold ocean currents, due to the close proximity of the Atlantic and Arctic oceans. The island is often crossed by cyclones, which are accompanied by strong winds, precipitation and sudden changes in weather. Thus, in December the average air temperature is -8° C. The average January temperature on the coast is from -7 ° C in the south to -36 ° C. The average February temperature is -47 ° C (absolute minimum -70 ° C).

Weather in Greenland in spring

Many tourists believe that the most appropriate time to visit the country is the period of “white nights”, which lasts from May to June. If you like winter fun, but are wary of severe frosts, go to Greenland in April. Despite the fact that the country is associated with the polar night and piercing cold, the weather in Greenland in the spring will not only warm you up, but also give you a pleasant northern tan. The average air temperature is -10° C.

Weather in Greenland in summer

The maximum amount of precipitation occurs in the autumn-winter period. However, it can snow even in summer. The weather in Greenland in summer is unpredictable; summer fogs on the country's coast are quite common. And even wind, the speed of which reaches 60-70 m/s, is a fairly common occurrence in the summer. If you think that cold weather and polar nights with a complete absence of sun are not fun for you, then go to Greenland in mid-July to early September. During these months, the golden time begins: the days become long, flowers and berries appear in the tundra.

Weather in Greenland in autumn.

The climate in Greenland is quite dry, and therefore the weather in Greenland in autumn is perceived completely differently than in our country. For example, if at -10°C you feel a slight coolness, then +10-15°C is comparable to Russian +20-25°C. July - from +10°C in the south to +3°C in the northwest. By the way, it’s quite interesting here in the fall. If you want to stay in Greenland until October, you can see the northern lights.

In the usual view, Greenland is a land of polar cold, where there is ice and snow all year round. This does correspond to the climate of the interior of Greenland, but due to the large extent from south to north - the country extends over 20 degrees of latitude (more than 2,000 km) - its coast has a wide variety of climate types. In the southern part of the island, in many places in July and August there is no frost at all and the temperature at times rises above 20 °, while in the northern part frost usually prevails throughout the year, and the summer temperature is so low that in Denmark it would hardly be called "in summer". However, along with these basic conditions, the climate is also influenced by numerous fjords, which in some places cut very deeply into the land and in some places are bordered quite high mountains. They often create specific, purely local climatic conditions, so that different areas, very close to one another, can differ greatly in such climatic elements as wind, temperature, fog, etc.

The position of Greenland on the globe is in the form of an isolated landmass, the northernmost part of which is entirely included in the Arctic region, while the southern tip reaches 60° N. sh., the fact that most of its surface lies at a considerable altitude (1500 - 3000 m), gives it some unique climatic features. Let us recall that everywhere on the globe, between the equator and the poles, there is an exchange of cold air masses coming from the poles and warm air masses coming from the equator. The mixing of these very different air masses is the cause of weather instability in our latitudes, associated with areas of low pressure, or “cyclones”. Geographical location Greenland and the significant altitude above sea level are the reason that the exchange of various air masses cannot occur over Greenland without hindrance, as happens, for example, in Denmark. Greenland appears to be a massif 2-3 km high, which “discharges” cold air masses to the south along its eastern side. When cold air masses from the north go far enough to the south, they meet warmer air masses coming from the south. It is for this reason that in areas adjacent to Greenland, as well as on the coast of the southern part of the country, the weather is unstable. A well-known phenomenon noted on weather maps of the North Atlantic Ocean is that the cyclones appear to diverge off the southern tip of Greenland; some are heading west of Greenland, while others are heading east. Only a small number of long-term observations have been made in the interior of the country, but those observations that we have show with complete certainty that cyclonic activity can also occur over the interior of the country, although not with the same intensity as along the coasts. In cases where cyclones are of sufficient height, their upper layers can pass over the continental glacier, while the lower part of cyclones up to 3 km in height is delayed at its limits.

The southern tip of Greenland is at the same latitude as Oslo, which may lead to the assumption that the climate in southern Greenland and southern Norway is essentially the same. This, however, is not true, for Greenland, especially its east coast, is subject to the strong influence of Arctic air masses, while Norway throughout its entire length is mainly under the influence of mild south-westerly winds, which is why throughout the year the temperature there is 6-8 ° higher than even in those parts of Greenland where the climate is the most soft.

Differences in climatic conditions in different regions

We talked about how the dissected nature of the Greenland coast, with its many deep fjords, partly bordered by high mountains, makes for a big difference climatic conditions from place to place. This can be found in numerous descriptions of travelers, expedition reports, etc. The following can be said about the main features of these differences.

Fjords cutting deep into the land naturally provide effective protection from the winds that dominate open sea or over the mountains; Inside the fjords there is often no wind at all or only a weak wind, while in the open sea it reaches significant strength or even storms. The exception, of course, is when the wind is directed directly into or out of the fjord. However, the opposite picture can also be observed, when a strong wind blows towards the outer part of the fjord or from the fjord, while the wind at sea is relatively weak; such winds can be caused by various reasons; It happens that a relatively weak air stream will be compressed over a long distance in a narrow fjord and as a result acquire significant force. Wind can also arise due to the large difference in temperatures outside the fjord and in the inner part of the fjord (during the day or summer, the outer part of the fjord can have cold air, and inside the fjord - warm air, at night and in winter - vice versa). In this case, the change of winds can be quite regular; it may also be associated with other factors, such as fog. These winds at times reach such strength that they can make sailing difficult.

In summer, the temperature over the open sea differs very little from the water temperature. However, in clear weather, when the snow has already melted inside the fjord, protected from the winds, the sun warms the slopes of the fjords, which, in turn, warm the air, so that you can observe how, as you move into the fjord, that is, as you approach the continental glacier, It's getting warmer. However, in winter the opposite phenomenon occurs: along the open coast, as long as the sea is free of ice, the temperature is relatively high, while the still air in the depths of the fjord is very cool.

Foehn wind and its influence on climate

The foehn wind is very characteristic of Greenland. If a flow of air passes over a huge obstacle such as Greenland, the flow can either follow the contours of that obstacle, up the slope on one side and down the slope on the other side, or it can pass over the top of the plateau, forming a These are the so-called “dead corners” above the very surface of the slopes, where the air masses are motionless, and then below the coast it is relatively windless. In the first case the air therefore rises and then falls over both coasts, and this causes a corresponding cooling or warming of 10° for every kilometer of ascent or descent. The cooling, however, turns out to be not so significant, because it causes the formation of precipitation, which reduces it to 5° per 1 km of altitude; the heating when the air flow descends is not restrained by anything, and if the same mass first rises with the formation of precipitation and then descends, then it ultimately heats up by 5 ° for every kilometer of rise. A flow of air heated by precipitation during its ascent and subsequent descent is called a foehn. It is clear that the shape of Greenland's surface creates favorable conditions for its occurrence. It can occur when wind either passes over a continental glacier or rises up the slopes of coastal mountains in one place and then descends in another place.

A characteristic feature of a hairdryer is that it usually blows intermittently. To force the air flow to rise and fall over the land surface, instead of passing at a significant height, special meteorological conditions are necessary. Hair dryers do not occur when air flows at a significant height; they begin when air descends and passes over the surface.

The foehn wind is always very dry, and if the place where the foehn blows is cold, it often causes a strong and sudden increase in temperature, which can reach 20° in a day. The maximum temperature is often observed very briefly and easily eludes direct measurement in the absence of recording instruments, in particular a maximum thermometer. This circumstance is due to the intermittent nature of the foehn mentioned above.

However, in winter, a very noticeable increase in temperature can be caused not by the foehn wind, but by the invasion of warm air from more southern latitudes. Although there may also be a transition from frost to thaw not only in the south, but even in the more northern parts of the country, such cases still differ from the foehn in that they are not accompanied by sudden short-term rises in temperature. In addition, such intrusions of warm air are usually accompanied by precipitation or at least wet weather, as opposed to the dry weather caused by the foehn.

Since warm air entering a country must naturally escape beyond its borders, passing either over the entire island or along the coast, it may appear as a foehn at the point where it leaves the coast. In such cases, in winter there is an increase in temperature and rain falls where the wind blows towards land, and an even more noticeable increase in temperature during dry weather and foehn where the same air flow, having passed over the glacier, again leaves the country. Both of these phenomena are marked on weather maps, and in those cases where simultaneous observations were made in the interior of Greenland by expeditions located there, it was possible to directly “identify” the warm air flow washing the country on its way over the continental glacier.

Two opposing climatic factors were mentioned several times above: cold Arctic air, which moves south along the coast from the Arctic regions proper, and soft oceanic air, which flows from the south to the southern tip of Greenland and at times can travel quite far to the north. There is, however, a third climatic factor of equal importance, namely radiation. This primarily means, of course, solar radiation, which at first glance, due to the low height of the sun above the horizon, may seem insignificant. The radiation of heat from the earth into the world space is also important for the climate of Greenland.

In the northernmost parts of the island, especially in winter, when the sun does not appear above the horizon at all for a more or less long time, the radiation of the earth's heat predominates, acting as a cooling agent. Therefore, the lowest temperatures are observed when there is no wind or low wind; stronger winds cause temperatures to rise even in cases where there is no direct influx of warmer air from the south. Since the winds usually weaken as you move north, the cooling due to radiation is more pronounced in the north, which, along with the long polar night, undoubtedly contributes to a strong drop in temperature from Upernavik and further north.

In the southern part of the country, the warming influence of solar radiation is increasing, which manifests itself here mainly in an increase in summer temperature, especially in the inner parts of the fjords, in places protected from the wind; in summer, temperatures here are sometimes almost the same as in Denmark (20° or slightly higher). In this regard, undoubtedly, the fact that on many slopes on days with a low height of the sun above the horizon its rays fall more vertically than on a horizontal surface can become important. This causes relatively strong heating of individual places.