30/11/2020

Climate Graphic Of The Week: The Arctic Frontline

Financial Times - Leslie Hook

LARGE IMAGE 

Arctic sea ice hit the second-lowest level ever recorded this year, reaching its summer minimum level in mid-September.

Warm temperatures and an unusual summer heatwave in Siberia contributed to the ice reaching that threshold for only the second time in the 42 year records, just behind that of 2012, according to the US National Snow and Ice Data Center.

Average air temperatures over the Arctic Ocean were at record highs during May, July and August.

As the planet warms, the Arctic Sea is expected to undergo its first ice-free summer before the year 2050, according to a research paper in Geophysical Research Letters.

The average rate of sea ice decline is about 13 per cent per year.

During autumn the sea ice expands, and thickens, although by the end of October the extent of the sea ice was still about one-third below normal levels, based on the 1981-200 average.

As the ice melts, through the loss of its reflective surface the ocean absorbs more solar radiation which in turn exacerbates global warming. It can also have an effect on the water circulation, with far-reaching consequences for weather patterns and ecosystems.

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