By
Andrew Blackman
– February 23, 2024
20
Rain used to be rare in the Arctic, but global warming is changing that. As Ed Struzik writes in Yale Environment 360, the consequences could be devastating.
- An increase in so-called rain-snow events is creating a range of problems for wildlife and the Indigenous people who depend on them. These include ice loss, flooding, landslides, avalanches and major changes to water quality.
- According to glaciologist Joel Harper, each time a rain-on-snow event happens, the structure of the firm layer is altered and it becomes more likely to be affected by the next melting event. This, he says, suggests that only a small increase in such occurrences will have a profound impact.
- Changes can already be seen. Thunderstorms are now occurring in places where they have historically been rare, and surface crevassing — which allows water to enter into the interior of the Arctic icecap — is accelerating.
- The changes are not just happening in the warmer months. Rain is also starting to replace snow in inter, according to one Alaska-based climate scientist. That’s a problem for local drivers because, with little solar heating, ice that forms on roads from November rains typically remains until spring.
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