NOAA Report Reveals Arctic Temperatures are Rising Twice as Fast as the Rest of Earth

It turns out that the Arctic is getting a bit warmer. A new NOAA-led study reveals that temperatures are rising at more than twice the rate of global air temperatures.

"Arctic warming is setting off changes that affect people and the environment in this ragile region, and has broader effects beyond the Arctic on global security, trade and climate," said Craig McLean, one of the researchers, in a news release. "This year's Arctic Report Card shows the importance of international collaboration on long-term observing programs that can provide vital information to inform decisions by citizens, policymakers and industry."

The researchers have created the Arctic Report card since 2006. This annual update summarizes changing conditions in the Arctic. This provides researchers with an assessment of this icy environment, and reveals how temperatures might be affecting icy conditions.

This year, there were some major findings in terms of air temperatures and snow cover. The jet stream pattern during early 2014 caused temperature anomalies that were more than 18 degrees Fahrenheit higher than the January average. In addition, snow cover across the Arctic during spring of 2014 was below the long-term mean of 1981 to 2010. In addition, sea ice extent in September 2014 was the sixth lowest since satellite observations began in 1979. In other words, it looks as if the Arctic is heating up dramatically.

"The Arctic Report Card 2014 presents observations vital for documenting the state of the Arctic environmental system, understanding the complex interactions and feedbacks within the system, and predicting its future," said Martin Jeffries, principle editor of the report. "Observing, understanding and predicting are essential elements of the Arctic Research Plan of the Inter-agency Arctic Research Policy Committee and the implementation of the U.S. National Strategy for the Arctic Region."

The new report also highlights the plight of polar bears in a special essay. Researchers found that the population of polar bears in western Hudson Bay, Canada is largely due to earlier sea ice break-up and later freeze-up. In other words, declines are due to warmer temperatures.

As the Arctic continues to change, it's important to keep up monitoring this particular area of the world. This, in turn, may help researchers develop conservation strategies and also shows the importance of curtailing global warming.

The new report can be found online on NOAA's website.

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