Scientists use custom drone to make first-of-its-kind discovery over massive ice sheet: 'It's like we just figured out how to discover fingerprints at a crime scene'

Yahoo

28-04-2025

Researchers have captured summer water-vapor isotopes in Greenland for the first time, which may lead to a better understanding of the movement of water in our climate.
In a study published in the journal JGR Atmospheres, a team of researchers utilized a custom drone to collect air samples at various altitudes. This was done to measure the isotopes within water vapor molecules. The researchers sought to better understand Greenland's long-term water balance while also attempting to predict just how much ice melt will add to the rise of sea levels.
Using the drone, the scientists conducted more than 100 flights over the northeast Greenland Ice Sheet during the summer of 2022. The team collected 104 profiles of water-vapor isotopes and meteorological variables up to 5,000 feet above the ice sheet surface.
Kevin Rozmiarek, a doctoral researcher at the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, noted the importance of studying the isotopes inside these water vapor molecules.
"Isotopes are water's fingerprints," Rozmiarek told Earth.com. "By following these fingerprints, we can trace back to the source where the water vapor came from."
According to Rozmiarek, by researching isotopes inside the water vapor molecules, scientists can unlock a wide variety of useful applications. "It's like we just figured out how to discover fingerprints at a crime scene," Rozmiarek said.
"This is a concrete step forward in understanding where water is going and where it is coming from in this important system at a time when we need it most," Rozmiarek added.
As noted by a NASA report, the planet loses Arctic sea ice in September at a rate of almost 12.2% per decade. While the Arctic experiences ice melt every year to some degree, the current extent of ice mass loss is faster than ever before in recorded history.
Overall, Greenland is losing about 267 billion tons of ice mass per year, which has a significant impact on sea level rise, NASA revealed. These rising sea levels can jeopardize coastal cities around the globe and impact weather patterns as well.
As the planet continues to heat up at historic levels and ice mass levels steadily shrink, communities around the globe will feel the effects. Organizations such as the Arctic Ice Project have worked to bring awareness to the issue and prevent the damage from spiraling out of control.
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In the UK, legislation has been passed to reach net zero levels by 2050. This is an attempt to neutralize carbon air pollution that traps heat and thus slow the rate of the global temperature increase.
According to Rozmiarek, understanding the water cycle in the Arctic may go a long way in combating the loss of the ice mass.
"It's really important to be able to predict what's going to happen to Greenland in the warming world as accurately as possible," Rozmiarek explained. "We demonstrated how useful water vapor isotope data is by successfully improving an existing model."
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