Record temperatures in Greenland,
thinning sea ice, record snow cover decreases and links to some
Northern Hemisphere weather are among dramatic changes.
Washington, October 21, 2010
- The Arctic region, also called the "planet's
refrigerator," continues to heat up, affecting local populations
and ecosystems as well as weather patterns in the most populated
parts of the Northern Hemisphere, according to a team of
international scientists.
The findings were released today in the
Arctic Report Card, a yearly assessment of
Arctic conditions.
Among the 2010 highlights:
- Greenland is experiencing record-setting high temperatures, ice
melt and glacier area loss;
- Summer sea ice continues to decline - the 2009-2010 summer sea
ice cover extent was the third lowest since satellite monitoring
began in 1979, and sea ice thickness continues to thin. The 2010
minimum is the third lowest recorded since 1979, surpassed only by
2008 and the record low of 2007; and
- Arctic snow cover duration was at a record minimum since
record-keeping began in 1966.
VIDEO:
Arctic Report Card 2010. Video Link (Credit: NOAA)
There is also evidence that
the effect of higher air temperatures in the Arctic atmosphere in
fall is contributing to changes in the atmospheric circulation in
both the Arctic and northern mid-latitudes. Winter 2009-2010 showed
a link between mid-latitude extreme cold and snowy weather events
and changes in the wind patterns of the Arctic, related to a phase
of the Arctic Oscillation.
"To quote one of my NOAA colleagues, 'whatever is going to
happen in the rest of the world happens first, and to the greatest
extent, in the Arctic,'" said Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D, under secretary
of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator.
Beyond affecting the humans and wildlife that call the area
home, the Arctic's warmer temperatures and decreases in permafrost,
snow cover, glaciers and sea ice also have wide-ranging
consequences for the physical and biological systems in other parts
of the world.
The Arctic is an important driver of climate and weather around
the world and serves as a critical feeding and breeding ground that
supports globally significant populations of birds, mammals and
fish.
VIDEO:
Arctic Sea Ice Reaches the 3rd Lowest Extent on Record. Video Link (Credit: NOAA)
In 2006, NOAA's Climate Program Office introduced the annual
Arctic Report Card, which established a baseline of conditions at
the beginning of the 21st century to monitor the quickly changing
conditions in the Arctic.
Using a color-coded system of "red" to indicate consistent
evidence of warming and "yellow" to show that warming impacts are
occurring in many climate indicators and species, the Report Card
is updated annually in October and tracks the Arctic atmosphere,
sea ice, biology, ocean, land and changes in Greenland.
The Report Card can be found online.