Arctic on front line of climate change

The Arctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet, driven by melting sea ice and thawing of carbon-rich Arctic permafrost, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


2000-16: Average Arctic surface temperature has risen by 3.5° Celsius

Greenland Ice Sheet: 2.85 million cubic kilometres of ice – enough to lift global sea levels by 7.4 metres

Markusvinsa, Sweden: Temperatures above Arctic Circle recorded at 34.8°C on July 26, 2019


Sea ice extent (annual minimum extent, million square km)
Aug 1980	Sep 1990	Sep 2000 	Sep 18, 2019

1980: 7.86 
1990: 6.32
2000: 6.37
2012
2012, record low: 3.40
2019: 4.20

UNITED STATES
CANADA
North Pole
GREENLAND
RUSSIA
Arctic Circle


Permafrost: Layer of rock and soil containing estimated 1-1.5 trillion tonnes* of organic matter – dead plants and animals – that remains continuously frozen

Permafrost extends up to 450m below surface


Permafrost

Active layer, freezes and thaws each year

Permafrost thaws: Bacteria in soil consume organic matter, releasing carbon dioxide and methane. Gases can speed up greenhouse effect


*1 trillion = 1,000 billion


Sources: NOAA, NSIDC, NASA, Spiegel 
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