Arctic Report Card
Encyclopedia
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
's Arctic Report Card presents annually updated, peer-reviewed information on recent observations of environmental conditions in the Arctic
relative to historical records. In 2011, NOAA officially designated the Arctic Report Card as Influential Scientific Information.
The audience for the Arctic Report Card is wide, including scientists, students, teachers, decision makers and the general public interested in Arctic environment and science.
conditions is unlikely. Record high temperatures across Canadian Arctic and Greenland
, a reduced summer sea ice cover, record snow cover decreases and links to some Northern Hemisphere weather support this conclusion. Further conclusions for 2010 are presented on the Report Card website, in the Arctic Report Card 2010 YouTube video, and below:
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , pronounced , like "noah", is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere...
's Arctic Report Card presents annually updated, peer-reviewed information on recent observations of environmental conditions in the Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
relative to historical records. In 2011, NOAA officially designated the Arctic Report Card as Influential Scientific Information.
The audience for the Arctic Report Card is wide, including scientists, students, teachers, decision makers and the general public interested in Arctic environment and science.
2010
The Arctic Report Card headline for 2010 is that a return to previous ArcticArctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
conditions is unlikely. Record high temperatures across Canadian Arctic and Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
, a reduced summer sea ice cover, record snow cover decreases and links to some Northern Hemisphere weather support this conclusion. Further conclusions for 2010 are presented on the Report Card website, in the Arctic Report Card 2010 YouTube video, and below:
- Atmosphere: Arctic climate is impacting mid-latitude weather, as seen in Winter 2009-2010
- Sea Ice: Summer sea iceSea iceSea ice is largely formed from seawater that freezes. Because the oceans consist of saltwater, this occurs below the freezing point of pure water, at about -1.8 °C ....
conditions for previous four years well below 1980s and 1990s - Ocean: Upper ocean showing year-to-year variability without significant trends
- Land: Low winter snow accumulation, warm spring temperatures lead to record low snow cover duration
- Greenland: Record setting high temperatures, ice melt, and glacier area loss
- Biology: Rapid environmental change threatens to disrupt current natural cycles