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Blue Blob

Posted on April 22, 2022 by admin1  1150

In Context

  • Recently, Several researchers have proposed that the Blue Blob is part of the normal sea surface temperature variability in the Arctic. 

About 

  • The new study uses climate models and field observations and data from 1958 to 2019 to show that the cold water patch chilled the air over Iceland sufficiently to slow ice loss starting in 2011 .
    • This helped them to understand how much the ice has increased or decreased over the glaciers.
  • The model predicts cooler water will persist in the North Atlantic, sparing Iceland’s glaciers until about 2050. 
  • The Arctic was warmed quickly and recent studies report the area is warming four times faster than the global average.
  •  Iceland’s glaciers steadily shrank from 1995 to 2010, losing an average of 11 gigatons of ice per year. 

About Blue Blob

  • The Blue Blob is a cold patch located south of Iceland and Greenland and little is known about it. 
    • However, a recent study theories that it may have helped temporarily stall the melting of Arctic sea ice.
      • Scientists are still investigating the impact of this cold water area on surrounding regions.
  • The cold patch was most prominent during the winter of 2014-2015 when the sea surface temperature was about 1.4 degrees Celsius colder than normal.
    • This could have helped temporarily reduce the faster melting of the glaciers since 2011.

Arctic Region 

  • It is commonly understood to refer to the region above the Arctic Circle, north of latitude 66° 34′ N, which includes the Arctic Ocean with the North Pole at its centre. 
    • Eight Arctic States-Canada, Kingdom of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and USA form the Arctic Council. 
  • The Arctic is home to almost four million inhabitants, of which approximately one tenth are considered as indigenous people. 
  • The Arctic Ocean and its surrounding landmass has been a topic of immense interest and a high-priority area of research among the global scientific fraternity as well as of importance to policy makers. 
  • The Arctic influences atmospheric, oceanographic and biogeochemical cycles of the earth’s ecosystem.
  • Governance 
  • The region is governed by national domestic laws, bilateral agreements, global treaties and conventions and customary laws for the indigenous peoples.
  • The Arctic Council is the primary high-level intergovernmental forum for Arctic cooperation set up with the twin-mandate of environmental protection and sustainable development. 
    • It comprises member states, permanent participants and observers. It has six Working Groups which oversee voluntarily funded projects. In addition, there are other independent forums focused on specific issues such as the Nordic Defence Cooperation, Arctic Coast Guard Forum and Offshore Regulators Forum. 
  • India holds one of the 13 positions as the Observer in the Arctic Council.

Iceland

  • Iceland is a Scandinavian country, the world’s oldest democracy but modern in nearly every respect.
  • Iceland, an island country located in the North Atlantic Ocean. 
  • Lying on the constantly active geologic border between North America and Europe, Iceland is a land of vivid contrasts of climate, geography, and culture. 
  • The capital, Reykjavík (“Bay of Smokes”).

Greenland

  • It is  the world’s largest island, lying in the North Atlantic Ocean. Greenland is noted for its vast tundra and immense glaciers.
  •  The capital of Greenland is Nuuk
  • Greenland’s major physical feature is its massive ice sheet, which is second only to Antarctica’s in size. 

 

Source:TH

 
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