Researchers from Western Washington University study dark zones on the Greenland ice sheet to understand sea level rise.<\/p>\n
BELLINGHAM, Wash. \u2014 A team of researchers from Western Washington University (WWU) spent the past week in Greenland, conducting climate research focused on the Greenland ice sheet, the world\u2019s second largest after Antarctica and nearly three times the size of Texas.<\/p>\n
Associate Professor of Environmental Science Alia Khan<\/a>, who led the expedition, emphasized the global significance of their work.<\/p>\n \u201cI think this work is important, due to the sheer volume of the Greenland ice sheet and how it really does have a global impact,\u201d Khan said.<\/p>\n The research team investigated how the Greenland ice sheet, one of the largest contributors to sea level rise, is affected by \u201cdark zones\u201d forming on its surface.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe are trying to understand how the darkening of the albedo across this region of the dark zone of the Greenland ice sheet, how that is contributing to sea level rise,\u201d Khan explained.<\/p>\n According to Khan, these dark zones are caused in part by black carbon pollution from wildfires, mostly burning in Canada. The fires send smoke and black carbon particles into the atmosphere, and winds transport the pollution thousands of miles, depositing it on Greenland\u2019s ice.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI hypothesize that by the end of the century we\u2019ll see a pretty large increase in the dark zones across the Greenland ice sheet,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n These dark particles lower the surface\u2019s reflectivity, causing the ice to absorb more heat from the sun, accelerating melt and contributing to rising global sea levels. The consequences could be significant.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cGlobal sea level rise has implications for infrastructure, economies, development, safety,\u201d Khan said. She noted that even a few millimeters of sea level rise can have a drastic impact on coastal communities, including some in Washington state.<\/p>\n