Scientists Warn: Pristine Lakes Rapidly Deteriorating, "We've Crossed a Tipping Point"
Authors of a new study worry that climate change and extreme weather circumstances have caused some of Greenland's untouched lakes to "cross a threshold." What's happening? In the research paper, which appeared in the journal National Academy of Sciences Proceedings Over a span of ten years, scientists tracked alterations in the Arctic lakes situated in Greenland. Specifically, their focus was on the aftermath of autumn 2022, which witnessed unprecedented levels of warmth and precipitation due to atmospheric river events in the region. In less than twelve months following these severe weather events, which were exacerbated by our shifting climate, the lakes changed color from their usual "blue" state (indicating high clarity) to a "brown" hue. This browning led to a fifty percent decrease in light infiltration. The "browning" of the lakes happened within fewer than 12 months, a process that normally requires hund...