The latest scientific discovery in Greenland, in northern Europe, has raised concerns in the international community: more than 7,500 lakes that once shone with intense blue color turned brown during 2022, due to record temperatures and intense rains that battered the region.
The high temperatures caused by global warming melted the permafrost, releasing carbon and iron that rainfall carried into the water bodies. This process dramatically altered the aquatic ecosystem in a matter of months, when such changes would normally take centuries to manifest.
Impact on the Arctic lakes
The transformation severely affected the microorganisms that inhabit these lakes. “The magnitude and speed of the change were unprecedented,” explained Jasmine Saros, a professor of paleolimnology and lake ecology at the University of Maine, who led the research published in the journal PNAS.
Scientists observed that the darkening of the water reduced the penetration of sunlight, altering the plankton balance. Species that absorb CO2 through photosynthesis decreased, while those that release it by decomposing increased.
The phenomenon occurred during the fall of 2022, a season traditionally snowy in Greenland. Heatwaves turned snow into rain and thawed permanently frozen soil, releasing elements stored for millennia.
The situation worsened when the lakes, which normally capture CO2 in summer, became producers of this greenhouse gas. Such massive transformation usually takes decades in other regions of the northern hemisphere.
Consequences for the local population
The change in the water’s chemical composition revealed by the discovery raises concerns among the inhabitants of Greenland, who depend on these lakes for drinking water.
According to Saros, the entry of dissolved organic carbon and nutrients from the permafrost can lead to the growth of bacteria that affect the taste and odor of the water, as well as creating potential health risks due to exposure to metals.
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