Welcome to my first journal entry. It is early April and I am on the beach in Sarasota, Florida thinking about what it will be like to spend part of my summer on the Greenland ice sheet.
I will be working with Mike Bergin and Brandon Strellis from Georgia Tech. I will be helping them with their study of tiny dust and soot particles. These particles get in the air from many sources, including the burning of fossil fuels by humans. They float in the air and land on the ground all over the world, including on top of the Greenland ice sheet.
Why do people care about this stuff?
Well, much of the island of Greenland is covered with ice. Scientists estimate that if all the ice on top of Greenland melted and flowed into the ocean, the sea level would rise about 6.55 meters (or 21 feet).
To give you an idea of how high that is, check out the sailboat below. The mast (or pole that holds the sail) is about 20 feet high. Imagine the water level rising to that height. What would happen to the hotels and condominiums in the background of this picture?
Sailboat on the beach in Sarasota, Florida
Look at the map from a recent study so you can see the effect of the rising sea level in Florida and Georgia. Scientists predict that the yellow area on the map would be covered with water if the sea level rose up to 6 meters.
This map shows the possible effects of sea level rise in the southern part of the United States. The yellow indicates areas that could be effected with a sea level rise of 6 meters or less.
Scientists like Mike and Brandon are interested in the particles that are landing on the snow and ice. They are interested in finding out if these particles are changing how much heat from the sun is being absorbed into the snow and ice and whether these particles could be effecting the speed at which the snow and ice is melting.
Now can you see why people are interested in studying the Greenland ice sheet?
To learn more about this recent study on rising sea levels, check out this web site:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110215081742.htm