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In the Path of Piteraqs

November 19, 2015

The residents of Tasiilaq, the most populous community on Greenland’s eastern coast, are often exposed to the hazards of strong winds known as piteraqs. These torrents of cold air suddenly sweep down from the Greenland Ice Cap and thunder down the steep slopes of ice-covered mountains, creating an avalanche of cold air that can reach hurricane strength. Marilena Oltmanns, a graduate student in the MIT-WHOI Joint Program, investigated the factors that combine to create piteraqs and found that they may have even more farflung impacts on sea ice, ocean circulation, and climate. (Photo by Fiamma Straneo, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)