Unspecified
Arctic Report Card 2009.
Project Report.
NOAA.
Abstract
It is apparent that the heating of the ocean in areas of extreme summer sea ice loss is directly
impacting surface air temperatures over the Arctic Ocean, where surface air temperature
anomalies reached an unprecedented +4°C during October through December 2008. There is
evidence that the effect of higher air temperatures in the lower Arctic atmosphere is contributing to
changes in the atmospheric circulation in both the Arctic and northern mid-latitudes.
The annual mean Arctic temperature for the year 2008 was the fourth warmest year for land areas
since 1990 (Figure A1). This continued the 21st century positive Arctic-wide surface air
temperature (SAT) anomalies of greater than 1.0° C, relative to the 1961–1990 reference period.
The mean annual temperature for 2008 was cooler than 2007, coinciding with cooler global and
Pacific temperatures (Hansen, 2009). The outlook is for increased temperatures, because there
are currently (October 2009) El Nino conditions which are expected to continue through winter
2009–2010.
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