English: Temperatures soared across Greenland in the opening weeks of May 2019. With most of the landmass lying within the Arctic Circle, Greenland is considered one of the coldest places on Earth. But temperatures measured in the upper 50s to low 60s Fahrenheit (10-16°C) most of the first week of May. Temperatures in Kangerlussuaq peaked at 68°F (20°C) on May 7. On May 6, Santiago de la Pena, a scientist with the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center at The Ohio State University described his day working on the Greenland ice sheet. He tweeted “We serviced 2 stations at an elevation of 2300m and 1900m; the lower site was above freezing, the other at -4C. They are usually in the -20s and -30s this time of the year.”

The warm temperatures spurred an early and vigorous melt season across Greenland. De la Pena also reported large amounts of meltwater over the Greenland ice sheet, writing “we spotted relatively large amounts of meltwater over the ice sheet at 1700 m above sea level, something unusual even in summer". Both he and NASA scientists flying over Greenland on Operation IceBridge recorded video and images of rapidly melting ice. Satellite imagery also showed thinning sea ice as the satellites gathered data on the status of ice and snow on Greenland.

On May 7, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Aqua satellite passed over southwestern Greenland and acquired a false-color image of sea ice off of Greenland.

In false-color images both infrared and visible light is used to enhance the ability to visualize certain things more clearly. In this case, it is used to help differentiate ice and snow, which appears vibrant blue, from cloud which appears either white or faintly tinged with blue. Ocean water appears black and non-vegetated land looks tan. While much of Greenland remains snow-covered, sea ice which typically hugs the coast at this time of year has been reduced to swirls and tendrils of thin ice. Some of the land has also become visible.