CLIMATE CHANGE REPORT CARD

Arctic Report Card: Region Continues to Warm at Unprecedented Rate; Record temperatures in Greenland, thinning sea ice, record snow cover decreases and links to some Northern Hemisphere weather are among dramatic changes
October 21, 2010 (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

"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 69 international scientists. The findings were released...in the Arctic Report Card, a yearly assessment of Arctic conditions.

"…[Highlight 1:] Greenland is experiencing record-setting high temperatures, ice melt and glacier area loss…"

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"…[Highlight 2:] 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…

"…[Highlight 3:] Arctic snow cover duration was at a record minimum since record-keeping began in 1966."

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"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…

"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…"