The Globe Continues to Warm
Scientists have noted alarming trends in the arctic that continue to indicate a rise in global temperature, which could ultimately lead to catastrophe: "There have been regional warming periods before. Now we're seeing arctic-wide changes."Scientists have noted alarming trends in the arctic that continue to indicate a rise in global temperature, which could ultimately lead to catastrophe: “There have been regional warming periods before. Now we’re seeing arctic-wide changes.”
WAIT BEFORE YOU GO...AP:
For the past five years, it was at least 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit above average over the Arctic over the entire year, said James Overland, an oceanographer at the Pacific Marine Environmental Lab in Seattle.
The new “State of the Arctic” analysis, released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, also reports an increase in northward movement of warmer water through the Bering Strait in 2001-2004. This may have contributed to a continuing reduction of sea ice.
During that time, there were record lows in sea ice coverage in the region, Overland said. This year there was more normal coverage in the Bering area but a record low on the Atlantic side of the arctic.
In the past when such a shift occurred, there would have been no net loss of ice overall, just a change in where there was a smaller amount. Now, however, there is both the shift and an overall net loss of ice, he said.
Indeed, the report said arctic sea ice coverage this past March was the lowest in winter since measurements by satellite began in the early 1970s.
This year, the ground feels uncertain — facts are buried and those in power are working to keep them hidden. Now more than ever, independent journalism must go beneath the surface.
At Truthdig, we don’t just report what's happening — we investigate how and why. We follow the threads others leave behind and uncover the forces shaping our future.
Your tax-deductible donation fuels journalism that asks harder questions and digs where others won’t.
Don’t settle for surface-level coverage.
Unearth what matters. Help dig deeper.
Donate now.
TD Original
With a threatening and unpredictable U.S. to the south and a mining scramble in the Arctic, Canada confronts a strange new security landscape.
Environment
The debate over deep-sea mining exposes a contradiction between the country’s proud culture of environmental stewardship and its dependence on the extraction of the ocean’s riches.
Environment
The phrase grabs people's attention, but some scientists argue it does more harm than good.
Environment
In the Canadian Arctic, two ambitious research initiatives try to strengthen climate data through community engagement.
As climate change accelerates and our biosphere begins to collapse, superpowers will jockey for access to the ice cap's natural resources.
The NOAA's annual report on the Arctic contains some terrifying findings. Here are just 5 of the most worrying ones.
You need to be a supporter to comment.
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.