Earlier this month, rainfall was observed on the Greenland glacier summit for the first time since the founding of the weather station there in 1987. The Summit Camp Meteorological Observatory is located 3,216 meters above sea level. It is run by an American research company with the support of the US Institute of Science.
Martin Stendal of the Danish Meteorological Institute said on Twitter that on August 14, the temperature at the highest peak of the glacier rose above zero for the third time in ten years. He says maps made in collaboration with the Icelandic Meteorological Institute show that rainfall was heavy.
Arctic researcher Zoe Courville confirmed that a US station employee witnessed rainfall on the mountain and posted a photo confirming this.
Employees of the Danish Meteorology Institute in their Twitter post said that it was the first rain in this place since 1987. They believe it is expected to happen more frequently in the future due to global warming.
Ice melting at this altitude is also very rare. When this happens, the thawed water will freeze again sooner or later. Cores from the wells reveal that this has only happened nine times in the last 2,000. years – in the years 2021, 2019, 2012, 1889, 1094, 992, 758, 753 and 244.
Source: Yle