On December 11, 2018, NOAA released its 2018 Arctic Report Card which details how the climate is changing in Earth’s northern polar region, including declines in sea ice, warmer air and rising ocean temperatures which is leading to shifts in animal habitats.
The report compares these observations of the region to the long term record.
According to the NOAA press release:
Effects of persistent Arctic warming continue to mount
Continued warming of the Arctic atmosphere and ocean are driving broad change in the environmental system in predicted and, also, unexpected ways. New emerging threats are taking form and highlighting the level of uncertainty in the breadth of environmental change that is to come.
Now in its thirteenth year, the annually published, peer reviewed Arctic Report Card was compiled from the research of 81 scientists from a dozen nations.
NOAA states that this report card is just one of many aspects of NOAA’s role in the Arctic region. NOAA, alongside many partners, is monitoring Arctic conditions, pioneering innovative technologies, and creatively collecting data and other scientific information.
Source: NOAA
Related links:
https://www.noaa.gov/media-release/arctic-report-card-tracks-region-s-environmental-changes
ftp://ftp.oar.noaa.gov/arctic/documents/ArcticReportCard_full_report2018.pdf
