Understanding Greenland's Extreme Climate

Greenland experiences one of the world's most extreme climates. Despite its name, Greenland's surface is mostly ice, with the ice sheet covering approximately 80% of the island.

Temperatures in Greenland vary widely. Coastal areas can have mild temperatures, while the ice sheet interior stays below freezing year-round, with temperatures plunging to -50°C (-58°F) in winter.

Surprisingly, Greenland is subject to rapid warming. The Arctic region is warming twice as fast as the global average, causing significant ice melt and impacting global sea levels.

Greenland's northern position leads to natural phenomena: the midnight sun in summer, with 24-hour daylight, and polar night in winter, with continuous darkness, affecting temperatures drastically.

Greenland's ice melt contributes about 40% to current sea-level rise. The island's ice loss has increased sixfold since the 1980s, with profound implications for global climate patterns.

Nuuk, the capital, has a unique climate, being located in a fjord. This topography leads to milder winters and summers compared to Greenland's interior, with temperatures occasionally above freezing.

Greenlandic flora and fauna are adapted to the cold. Unique species, such as the Arctic willow, grow as ground-hugging shrubs to survive the extreme conditions, demonstrating nature's resilience.

In 2021, it rained at Greenland's summit for the first time on record, signaling unprecedented climate changes in the Arctic.