Glacier shrinkage and global warming

[SW VandeCarr]

While glacier shrinkage is occurring almost everywhere, it's possible this could be reversed in high latitudes if continued global warming (GW) is moderate. This is important, because in the best of circumstances, we will not be able to reverse global warming in the foreseeable future. The best we can hope for is to moderate it.

The reversal of glacier shrinkage and possible glacier expansion in latitudes above 70-75 degrees would be a direct result of moderate GW leading to increased winter precipitation, all of which would fall as snow. Snowfall and summer melting are the primary determinants of glacier shrinkage or growth. Right now, virtually no winter precipitation falls in interior Antarctica and very little in interior Greenland and the Canadian High Arctic. If the increased winter snowfall in high latitudes can overcome summer melting, mountain and lowland glaciers will grow.

I'd like to hear other comments on this. I read an article several years ago that an ice free Arctic Ocean could supply a vastly increased amount of moisture for glacier growth (but I can't locate it right now). If, as is likely, the summer Arctic ice pack disappears, winter freezing would proceed primarily outward from the continental margins instead of from the central Arctic Ocean, thereby leaving an zone of open water until late in the winter.

 

[Aaron Bex]

It's possible that this zone of open water could supply additional moisture for glacier growth in the High Arctic, although I can't be certain. It would be interesting to hear comments from others on this topic.

 

[Huyen401]

It's definitely interesting to consider the potential for glacier growth in high latitudes due to a moderate global warming scenario. It seems like a bit of a silver lining in an otherwise dire situation. However, I also wonder about the potential consequences of this growth - for example, could it lead to changes in ocean currents or other environmental impacts? And while it's certainly better than continued glacier shrinkage, it's important to remember that even moderate global warming can have significant consequences for our planet. We still need to do everything we can to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change.