The study, ‘Abrupt transformation of west Greenland lakes following compound climate extremes associated with atmospheric rivers’ revealed that more than 7,500 lakes in western Greenland have turned brown.

Transformation of the Lakes

• In 2022, extreme weather events caused these lakes to turn brown, emit carbon, and suffer a decline in water quality.
• Such changes typically occur over centuries, but in this case, they happened within months.

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Causes of the Transformation

• Warmer Temperatures: Greenland usually experiences snowfall during the fall season (late August to late September).
  • In 2022, warmer temperatures caused the snow to turn into rain.
• Permafrost Thawing: Permafrost (frozen ground containing organic carbon) thawed due to the heat.
  • This released carbon, iron, magnesium, and other elements into the environment.
• Record Rainfall: Heavy rainfall washed these elements into the lakes, altering their physical, chemical, and biological properties.
• Role of Atmospheric Rivers: Atmospheric rivers are narrow regions in the atmosphere that transport water vapor.
  • They brought unprecedented heat and rainfall to Greenland in 2022.
  • Climate models predict atmospheric rivers will become 50–290% more frequent by the end of the 21st century in regions like Greenland, western North America, and east Asia.

Impacts of the Transformation

• Carbon Emissions: The lakes shifted from being carbon sinks to significant sources of carbon dioxide, with emissions rising by 350%.
• Water Quality: The water quality deteriorated, affecting its color, odor, and taste.
  • Increased dissolved organic material can produce carcinogenic byproducts during water treatment.
• Biodiversity Loss: Reduced light penetration hindered phytoplankton photosynthesis, decreasing their ability to absorb CO₂.
  • This had significant ramifications for the region’s carbon cycle and overall ecosystem health.

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About Greenland

• Greenland: It is the world’s largest island, lying in the North Atlantic Ocean. 
  • The Greenlandic people call their homeland Kalaallit Nunaat (“Country of the Greenlanders”)
• Capital: Nuuk
• Highest Point: Gunnbjorn’s Fjeld 
• Location: It is located in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northeastern coast of Canada, bounded on the north by the Arctic Ocean; on the west by Smith Sound, Baffin Bay and the Davis Strait; and on the east by the Arctic and North Atlantic oceans. 
  • It is the world’s largest (non-continent) island.
  • It shares its maritime borders with Canada, Iceland and Norway.
  • It is positioned both in the Northern and Western hemispheres of the Earth.
• Physical Feature: It is noted for its vast tundra and immense glaciers. 
  • One of the largest glaciers is the Peterman.
• Greenland’s major physical feature is its massive ice sheet, which is second only to Antarctica’s in size and covers over four-fifths of Greenland’s total land area. 
  • In Greenland, the sun does not set from May 25 to July 25 and July is the only month when the temperature reaches above freezing.
• Greenland Sea: It is an outlying portion of the Arctic Ocean, which lies south of the Arctic Basin proper and borders Greenland (west), Svalbard (east), the main Arctic Ocean (north), and the Norwegian Sea and Iceland (south).
• National Park: Northeast Greenland National Park is the world’s largest national park.

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