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Scientific Facts on Arctic Climate Change

In the Arctic, average temperatures have risen almost twice as fast as in the rest of the world, and are projected to rise by 3 to 7°C between 2000 and 2100. The melting of Arctic glaciers is also expected increasingly to contribute to global sea-level rise.
According to the report, the current increase in temperatures goes beyond natural climate variability. Moreover, three major Arctic climate mechanisms directly feed back into further global warming:

• as snow and ice melt, the amount of the sun's energy that is reflected back to space decreases - since darker surfaces absorb more heat - which in turn leads to more melting;
• with the melting of Arctic ice, and increased fresh water run-off from continental rivers, the circulation of water in the oceans can change and affect currents such as the Gulf Stream;
• as global warming progresses, there are changes in the net amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere, including methane from melting permafrost.

Complementary resources:
- www.greenfacts.org/en/arctic-climate-change/index.htm