The Arctic as an Indicator of World Climate Change

30.08.2010,

The Arctic, not to mention the planet in general, has been warming for three hundred years. However, over the last fifty years it has been most likely related to human activities. The pace of warming is twice as fast in the Arctic as in other parts of the world, particularly because most of its territory is covered with ice. The ice cap is shrinking and it means that the surface light-reflecting power (albedo) is diminishing too, as the ice turns into water, freeing the dark rocks underneath it. As a consequence, an increasing portion of sunlight is accumulated on the Earth, instead of being reflected into space, making the surface warmer and warmer.

Sea ice and permafrost in the Arctic region recede at the rate of 1% annually.

In the foreseeable future, ice melting is unlikely to cause worldwide industrial disasters; however, it will be influencing climate conditions on the planet.

Main Issues Related to Climate Change in the Arctic, Based on the Report Published by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

№	Issue	Scientific View
1	Global warming	0.6-0.8 °С over the last 50 years, with 1.3-1.5°С in the Arctic
2	Arctic ice  shrinking	Since 1978, the Arctic ice has shrunk, on average, by 2.7%, every 10 years (8% total)
3	Average temperature of the top layer of the permafrost	Increased by 3 °C since 1980
4	Maximum area covered by seasonally-frozen ground	Decreased in the Northern hemisphere by 7%, compared to 1950s
5	Reason of warming	Global warming is likely to have been brought about by the increased volume of greenhouse gases
6	Further average climate warming	Up to 0,2°C each 10 years
7	Maximum temperature increase – sea level rise by 2099	6,4 °C  – 0,59 meters
8	Temperature increase in the Arctic latitudes (prognosis through 2039)	1-2 °C
9	Maximum temperature increase in the Arctic latitudes (prognosis through 2099)	5-7,5 °C
10	Arctic ice melting	Gradual melting (especially during summers, possible total ice melting in summer by 2099)