June 20, 2019
Scientists from the University of Edinburgh found a new way of studying permafrost in the Arctic: they flew drone-mounted cameras over the Canadian Arctic. What they found reveals one aspect of the damage global warming is doing in that part of the world. During a 40-day period in the summer of 2017, the Canadian permafrost coastline retreated 47 feet, with daily rates of erosion sometimes exceeding 3 feet. This rate of erosion is six times higher than the historical average of the past half century.
Why is this important? First of all, permafrost is soil that remains frozen for at least 2 years. When permafrost thaws, it releases twice as much carbon into the atmosphere as when its temperature stays below freezing . More CO2, more global warming. More global warming, more permafrost that thaws, more CO2. Melting permafrost releases both carbon dioxide and methane into the air and water. Perhaps most disturbing, a 2017 study found that a major portion of the Arctic has already become a net source of heat-trapping emissions. The Arctic has been made into a liability.
Every summer sees less ice in the Arctic, due to ever-increasing temperatures, and that brings us up to today. The Arctic just experienced its hottest May ever, with temperatures in northwest Russia reaching 84 degrees Fahrenheit. Lower amounts of sea ice are in turn driving summer heat waves in the southern United States. Recent record Arctic temperatures are responsible for the second lowest amount of sea ice on record for any June other than June 2016.
Climate change models have predicted for a long time that global warming would unfold twice as fast in the Arctic as elsewhere. This is because when highly reflective sea ice melts, it's replaced with dark blue water, which absorbs more solar energy, leading to more ice melting. The Journal of Geophysical Research published a report stating that loss of Arctic sea ice is making extreme heat waves more likely. The report concludes that "low summer sea ice in Hudson Bay is statistically linked to an increased frequency of summer U.S. heat waves," especially in the U.S. Southeast and southern Plains.
This report also reveals that melting sea ice is weakening the jet stream. Here in the United States, we've seen first-hand what that means: spring-time weather systems that stall, causing extreme storms, tornadoes, and flooding. Recent studies have reported on such events. Back in December 2018, the National Atmospheric Administration's annual Arctic Report Card observed "Growing atmospheric warmth in the Arctic results in a sluggish and unusually wavy jet stream that coincided with abnormal weather events in both the Arctic and mid-latitudes."
As Joe Romm observed in the article upon which this article is based, "Unless we start cutting carbon pollution sharply and rapidly, we can expect Arctic temperatures to soar in the coming decades, bringing ever worsening extreme weather to this country."
With thanks to ThinkProgress.
Scientists from the University of Edinburgh found a new way of studying permafrost in the Arctic: they flew drone-mounted cameras over the Canadian Arctic. What they found reveals one aspect of the damage global warming is doing in that part of the world. During a 40-day period in the summer of 2017, the Canadian permafrost coastline retreated 47 feet, with daily rates of erosion sometimes exceeding 3 feet. This rate of erosion is six times higher than the historical average of the past half century.
Why is this important? First of all, permafrost is soil that remains frozen for at least 2 years. When permafrost thaws, it releases twice as much carbon into the atmosphere as when its temperature stays below freezing . More CO2, more global warming. More global warming, more permafrost that thaws, more CO2. Melting permafrost releases both carbon dioxide and methane into the air and water. Perhaps most disturbing, a 2017 study found that a major portion of the Arctic has already become a net source of heat-trapping emissions. The Arctic has been made into a liability.
Every summer sees less ice in the Arctic, due to ever-increasing temperatures, and that brings us up to today. The Arctic just experienced its hottest May ever, with temperatures in northwest Russia reaching 84 degrees Fahrenheit. Lower amounts of sea ice are in turn driving summer heat waves in the southern United States. Recent record Arctic temperatures are responsible for the second lowest amount of sea ice on record for any June other than June 2016.
Climate change models have predicted for a long time that global warming would unfold twice as fast in the Arctic as elsewhere. This is because when highly reflective sea ice melts, it's replaced with dark blue water, which absorbs more solar energy, leading to more ice melting. The Journal of Geophysical Research published a report stating that loss of Arctic sea ice is making extreme heat waves more likely. The report concludes that "low summer sea ice in Hudson Bay is statistically linked to an increased frequency of summer U.S. heat waves," especially in the U.S. Southeast and southern Plains.
This report also reveals that melting sea ice is weakening the jet stream. Here in the United States, we've seen first-hand what that means: spring-time weather systems that stall, causing extreme storms, tornadoes, and flooding. Recent studies have reported on such events. Back in December 2018, the National Atmospheric Administration's annual Arctic Report Card observed "Growing atmospheric warmth in the Arctic results in a sluggish and unusually wavy jet stream that coincided with abnormal weather events in both the Arctic and mid-latitudes."
As Joe Romm observed in the article upon which this article is based, "Unless we start cutting carbon pollution sharply and rapidly, we can expect Arctic temperatures to soar in the coming decades, bringing ever worsening extreme weather to this country."
With thanks to ThinkProgress.
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