Arctic Temperatures Reach Record High, Researchers Report

Arctic air temperatures are a record 9 F (5 C) above normal this autumn, the third annual Arctic Report Card said. Compiled by 46 scientists from around the world, the report noted that rapidly melting sea ice has made the Arctic Ocean warmer and less salty. The land is greener, with shrubs growing on what was formerly permafrost; reindeer populations seem to be declining while geese are extending their range northward. As greenhouse gases trap heat, the air and oceans warm. That triggers the melting of ice that used to last all summer, raising sea levels and temperatures, which then spurs further melting. “Changes in the Arctic show a domino effect from multiple causes more clearly than in other regions,” said one of the report’s authors, James Overland of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.