[월드&포토] 무서운 속도로 녹아내리는 그린란드 빙하

[월드&포토] 무서운 속도로 녹아내리는 그린란드 빙하

바다에 홀로 떠 있는 빙하 A melting pond is seen inside an iceberg from the Greenland ice sheet in the Baffin Bay near Pituffik, Greenland on July 17, 2022 as captured on a NASA Gulfstream V plane while on an airborne mission to measure melting Arctic sea ice. - New observations from ICESAT-2 show remarkable Arctic Sea ice thinning in just three years. Over the past two decades, the Arctic has lost about one-third of its winter sea ice volume, largely due to a decline in sea ice that persists over several years, called multiyear ice, according to a new study. The study also found sea ice is likely thinner than previous estimates. (Photo by Kerem Yücel / AFP)

(서울=연합뉴스) 신재우 기자 = 지구 온난화로 녹고 있는 그린란드 대륙빙하가 여름이 되자 더 무서운 속도로 흘러내리고 있습니다.

북극에서 해빙을 측정하는 미국 항공우주국(NASA)의 '걸프스트림 V' 제트기가 이달 중순 그린란드 피투픽 지역 인근 배핀만(灣)에서 촬영한 사진입니다.

대륙에서 흘러나온 엄청난 물이 해안가 절벽 계곡을 통해 바다로 쏟아져 내리고 있습니다.

빙하가 녹아 맨땅 드러낸 그린란드 An aerial view of icebergs and ice sheet near Pituffik, Greenland on July 19, 2022 as captured on a NASA Gulfstream V plane while on an airborne mission to measure melting Arctic sea ice. - New observations from ICESAT-2 show remarkable Arctic Sea ice thinning in just three years. Over the past two decades, the Arctic has lost about one-third of its winter sea ice volume, largely due to a decline in sea ice that persists over several years, called multiyear ice, according to a new study. The study also found sea ice is likely thinner than previous estimates. (Photo by Kerem Yucel / AFP)

빙하가 녹고 있는 그린란드 An aerial view of icebergs and ice sheet in the Baffin Bay near Pituffik, Greenland on July 19, 2022 as captured on a NASA Gulfstream V plane while on an airborne mission to measure melting Arctic sea ice. - New observations from ICESAT-2 show remarkable Arctic Sea ice thinning in just three years. Over the past two decades, the Arctic has lost about one-third of its winter sea ice volume, largely due to a decline in sea ice that persists over several years, called multiyear ice, according to a new study. The study also found sea ice is likely thinner than previous estimates. (Photo by Kerem Yücel / AFP)

이달 중순 들어 그린란드 북부의 낮 기온이 평년보다 5도 이상 높은 16도를 유지하자 대륙빙하가 빠른 속도로 녹으면서 지표면의 물이 거대한 강을 이뤄 해안가로 밀려온 것입니다.

북극해에서 녹고 있는 빙하 CORRECTION / Icebergs float in the Baffin Bay near Pituffik, Greenland on July 15, 2022 as captured from the ground during a NASA mission along with University of Texas scientists to measure melting Arctic sea ice. - New observations from ICESAT-2 show remarkable Arctic Sea ice thinning in just three years. Over the past two decades, the Arctic has lost about one-third of its winter sea ice volume, largely due to a decline in sea ice that persists over several years, called multiyear ice, according to a new study. The study also found sea ice is likely thinner than previous estimates. (Photo by Kerem Yücel / AFP) / ?The erroneous mention appearing in the metadata of this photo by Kerem Yücel has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [as captured from the ground] instead of [during an airborne mission]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention from all your online services and delete it from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require.?

바다에 인접한 양지바른 지역은 언제 얼음이 있었냐는 듯 흙빛을 완전히 드러냈습니다.

이달 15일부터 17일까지 바다로 흘러간 물은 총 180억t에 달한다고 미국 국립빙설자료센터는 밝혔습니다. 하루 평균 60억t의 물이 바다로 들어간 셈입니다.

바다에서 녹고 있는 빙하 An iceberg floats in the Baffin Bay near Pituffik, Greenland on July 15, 2022 as captured on a NASA Gulfstream V plane while on an airborne mission to measure melting Arctic sea ice. - New observations from ICESAT-2 show remarkable Arctic Sea ice thinning in just three years. Over the past two decades, the Arctic has lost about one-third of its winter sea ice volume, largely due to a decline in sea ice that persists over several years, called multiyear ice, according to a new study. The study also found sea ice is likely thinner than previous estimates. (Photo by Kerem Yücel / AFP)

바다로 녹아드는 빙하 Icebergs seen through the fog float in the Baffin Bay near Pituffik, Greenland on July 20, 2022 as captured on a NASA Gulfstream V plane while on an airborne mission to measure melting Arctic sea ice. - New observations from ICESAT-2 show remarkable Arctic Sea ice thinning in just three years. Over the past two decades, the Arctic has lost about one-third of its winter sea ice volume, largely due to a decline in sea ice that persists over several years, called multiyear ice, according to a new study. The study also found sea ice is likely thinner than previous estimates. (Photo by Kerem Yücel / AFP)

빙하를 연구하는 과학자들은 그린란드가 2019년에 이어 올해에도 기록적인 빙하 손실을 볼 수 있다고 우려합니다.

2019년 여름 폭염으로 녹은 그린란드 얼음은 총 5천860만t으로 추정됐습니다. 한반도 면적의 두 배 정도를 1.25ｍ 높이로 덮을 수 있는 양이었습니다.

바다로 떨어지고 있는 그린란드 빙하 녹은물 Meltwater flows from the Greenland ice sheet into the Baffin Bay near Pituffik, Greenland on July 17, 2022 as captured on a NASA Gulfstream V plane while on an airborne mission to measure melting Arctic sea ice. - New observations from ICESAT-2 show remarkable Arctic Sea ice thinning in just three years. Over the past two decades, the Arctic has lost about one-third of its winter sea ice volume, largely due to a decline in sea ice that persists over several years, called multiyear ice, according to a new study. The study also found sea ice is likely thinner than previous estimates. (Photo by Kerem Yücel / AFP)

북극해에 떠다니는 작은 빙하 Icebergs float in Baffin Bay near Pituffik, Greenland on July 15, 2022 as captured on a NASA Gulfstream V plane while on an airborne mission to measure melting Arctic sea ice. - New observations from ICESAT-2 show remarkable Arctic Sea ice thinning in just three years. Over the past two decades, the Arctic has lost about one-third of its winter sea ice volume, largely due to a decline in sea ice that persists over several years, called multiyear ice, according to a new study. The study also found sea ice is likely thinner than previous estimates. (Photo by Kerem Yücel / AFP)

안타깝게도 그린란드의 빙하는 이미 '회복 불가능' 진단을 받았습니다.

빙하는 여름에 녹고 겨울에 얼지만, 현재의 연간 강설량으로는 여름에 녹는 엄청난 양의 빙하를 대체할 수 없기 때문입니다.

바다에 흩어진 빙하 Icebergs float in Baffin Bay in the Arctic Ocean on July 18, 2022 near Pituffik, Greenland as captured on a NASA Gulfstream V plane while on an airborne mission to measure melting Arctic sea ice. - New observations from ICESAT-2 show remarkable Arctic Sea ice thinning in just three years. Over the past two decades, the Arctic has lost about one-third of its winter sea ice volume, largely due to a decline in sea ice that persists over several years, called multiyear ice, according to a new study. The study also found sea ice is likely thinner than previous estimates. (Photo by Kerem YUCEL / AFP)

그린란드 해상에 떠 있는 빙하 Icebergs float in the Baffin Bay near Pituffik, Greenland on July 20, 2022 as captured on a NASA Gulfstream V plane while on an airborne mission to measure melting Arctic sea ice. - New observations from ICESAT-2 show remarkable Arctic Sea ice thinning in just three years. Over the past two decades, the Arctic has lost about one-third of its winter sea ice volume, largely due to a decline in sea ice that persists over several years, called multiyear ice, according to a new study. The study also found sea ice is likely thinner than previous estimates. (Photo by Kerem Yücel / AFP)

미국 오하이오 주립대 연구진은 2020년 논문에서 이런 결론을 내리면서 지구온난화를 지연시키려는 어떤 노력도 그린란드 빙하의 붕괴를 막지 못할 것이라고 경고했습니다.

북극의 빙하가 점점 더 많이 녹아내리는 것은 탄소를 발생시키는 인간의 활동으로 인해 지구의 온도가 계속 높아지고 있기 때문입니다.

그린란드 해상에 떠 있는 빙하 A melting pond is seen inside an iceberg from the Greenland ice sheet in the Baffin Bay near Pituffik, Greenland on July 20, 2022 as captured on a NASA Gulfstream V plane while on an airborne mission to measure melting Arctic sea ice. - New observations from ICESAT-2 show remarkable Arctic Sea ice thinning in just three years. Over the past two decades, the Arctic has lost about one-third of its winter sea ice volume, largely due to a decline in sea ice that persists over several years, called multiyear ice, according to a new study. The study also found sea ice is likely thinner than previous estimates. (Photo by Kerem Yücel / AFP)

특히 북극은 다른 지역보다 세 배나 빨리 기온이 높아졌는데, 위성으로 해빙을 관측하기 시작한 1979년 이후 북극해의 얼음 면적 최대치는 10년마다 약 13%씩 줄어들었습니다.

지구 온난화로 그린란드에서는 강수량도 증가하고 있습니다.

작년 여름 그린란드 북서부의 카아나크 마을은 홍수를 겪었고, 이 지역 빙하 꼭대기에서도 비가 관찰됐습니다.

맨땅 드러낸 던다스 언덕 Dundas Hill on the hottest day of the year, at 65 degrees Fahrenheit (18.33 degrees Celsius) on July 15, 2022. - New observations from ICESAT-2 show remarkable Arctic Sea ice thinning in just three years. Over the past two decades, the Arctic has lost about one-third of its winter sea ice volume, largely due to a decline in sea ice that persists over several years, called multiyear ice, according to a new study. The study also found sea ice is likely thinner than previous estimates. (Photo by Kerem Yucel / AFP)

빙하가 녹은 그린란드 배핀만 Icebergs float in Baffin Bay in the Arctic Ocean on July 15, 2022 near Pituffik, Greenland. - New observations from ICESAT-2 show remarkable Arctic Sea ice thinning in just three years. Over the past two decades, the Arctic has lost about one-third of its winter sea ice volume, largely due to a decline in sea ice that persists over several years, called multiyear ice, according to a new study. The study also found sea ice is likely thinner than previous estimates. (Photo by Kerem YUCEL / AFP)

빙하에 눈이 아닌 비가 내리면 빙하의 표면은 햇빛을 더 잘 흡수하게 되고, 그만큼 해빙 속도는 더 높아질 수밖에 없습니다.

그린란드에 있는 빙하가 모두 녹는다면 지구 해수면은 7.5ｍ 상승하는 것으로 추산됩니다.

고요한 북극에서 홀로 빛나고 있는 거대 빙산을 그저 아름답게만 볼 수 없는 이유입니다.

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