Updated 2018 GMT (0418 HKT) December 8, 2020. Variations in the amount of solar radiation reaching different parts of the Earth are a principal driver of global and regional climate. In winter, this relatively warm water, even though covered by the polar ice pack, keeps the North Pole from being the coldest place in the Northern Hemisphere, and it is also part of the reason that Antarctica is so much colder than the Arctic. The dry winters result from the low frequency of cyclones in the region during that time, and the region's distance from warm open water that could provide a source of moisture (Serreze and Barry 2005). The ice may be bare ice, or it may be covered by snow or ponds of melt water, depending on location and time of year. The Arctic is warming at a rate of almost twice the global average. This expedition also provided valuable insight into the circulation of the ice surface of the Arctic Ocean. One of the better known: the continually shrinking summer sea-ice extent in the Arctic. In summer, the presence of the nearby water keeps coastal areas from warming as much as they might otherwise. Geophysical research letters, 34(9). Average temperatures in summer are above freezing over all regions except the central Arctic Basin, where sea ice survives through the summer, and interior Greenland[citation needed]. Sea ice in the Arctic has been declining dramatically as the region warms. In most of the Arctic the significant snow melt begins in late May or sometime in June. These forays into the Arctic did not venture far from the North American and Eurasian coasts, and were unsuccessful at finding a navigable route through either passage. Frequent cloud cover, exceeding 80% frequency over much of the Arctic Ocean in July,[2] reduces the amount of solar radiation that reaches the surface by reflecting much of it before it gets to the surface. In winter, the Canadian Archipelago experiences temperatures similar to those in the Arctic Basin, but in the summer months of June to August, the presence of so much land in this region allows it to warm more than the ice-covered Arctic Basin. On Monday, a study of Arctic conditions was published saying the Arctic region has started to transition into a new climate regime altogether. A cloudy sky can emit much more energy toward the surface than a clear sky, so when it is cloudy in winter, this region tends to be warm, and when it is clear, this region cools quickly.[2]. But that too is changing, as warming leads to declines in both the area of land and length of time that it is buried in snow. These regions receive many weakening cyclones from the North-Atlantic storm track, which is most active in winter. This is due to the region's continental climate, far from the moderating influence of the ocean, and to the valleys in the region that can trap cold, dense air and create strong temperature inversions, where the temperature increases, rather than decreases, with height. By November, winter is in full swing in most of the Arctic, and the small amount of solar radiation still reaching the region does not play a significant role in its climate. The Arctic Basin is one of the driest parts of the Arctic. The June, July and August (JJA) 2019 average surface air temperatures in the Arctic north of 65°N was above normal in most regions, with the exception of north central Canada and the northwestern part of Russia (Figure 2). Sea ice is mostly fresh water since the salt is rejected by the ice as it forms, so the melting ice has a temperature of 0 °C (32 °F), and any extra energy from the sun goes to melting more ice, not to warming the surface. Since 2000, the Arctic has warmed more than twice as fast as the rest of the planet, the report says. As the ice retreats the Northwest Passage opens up, leading to new geopolitical challenges as Russia, the United States, China, and other actors jostle for influence. It also experiences the longest period without sunlight of any part of the Arctic, and the longest period of continuous sunlight, though the frequent cloudiness in summer reduces the importance of this solar radiation. UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme), 2007: United States Central Intelligence Agency, 1978: USSR State Committee on Hydrometeorology and Environment, and The Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (chief editor A.F. Another effect of a warmer climate is that the Arctic is growing greener. The mountains are located in the far northwest border. The east coast of the central third of the island receives between 200 and 600 mm (7.9 and 23.6 in) of precipitation per year, with increasing amounts from north to south. It shows the average temperature in the coldest months is in the −30s, and the temperature rises rapidly from April to May; July is the warmest month, and the narrowing of the maximum and minimum temperature lines shows the temperature does not vary far from freezing in the middle of summer; from August through December the temperature drops steadily. Here's a look at the biggest changes observed in the Arctic this year, and what they mean for the rest of the planet. The Arctic consists of ocean that is largely surrounded by land. Scientists say the Arctic is a bellwether for the global climate. [13], A study published in the journal Science in September 2009 determined that temperatures in the Arctic are higher presently than they have been at any time in the previous 2,000 years. Over the Arctic Ocean the snow cover on the sea ice disappears and ponds of melt water start to form on the sea ice, further reducing the amount of sunlight the ice reflects and helping more ice melt. Third, because the Arctic temperature structure inhibits vertical air motions, the depth of the atmospheric layer that has to warm in order to cause warming of near-surface air is much shallower in the Arctic than in the tropics. Summer days can be surprisingly warm, even in tundra regions, and summer thunderstorms in the Arctic are … In the Arctic region, weather conditions vary greatly depending on the season. Coastal regions on the northern half of Greenland experience winter temperatures similar to or slightly warmer than the Canadian Archipelago, with average January temperatures of −30 to −25 °C (−22 to −13 °F). This is especially true near the coast, where the terrain rises from sea level to over 2,500 m (8,200 ft), enhancing precipitation due to orographic lift. [15] The last decade was the warmest in the record.[18]. In addition to serving as a vital habitat for polar bears and walruses, the Arctic's sea ice is a key part of the planet's air-conditioning system, reflecting the sun's energy back into space and keeping temperatures around the North Pole cool. The Arctic is warming more quickly than almost any other region on Earth as a result of climate change. By May, temperatures are rising, as 24-hour daylight reaches many areas, but most of the Arctic is still snow-covered, so the Arctic surface reflects more than 70% of the sun's energy that reaches it over all areas but the Norwegian Sea and southern Bering Sea, where the ocean is ice free, and some of the land areas adjacent to these seas, where the moderating influence of the open water helps melt the snow early.[2]. Variations in the amount of solar radiation reaching different parts of the Earth are a principal driver of global and regional climate. The climate of the Arctic also depends on the amount of sunlight reaching the surface, and being absorbed by the surface. Eleven nations provided support to establish twelve observing stations around the Arctic. Routine satellite observations of the Arctic began in the early 1970s, expanding and improving ever since. This warming has been caused not only by the rise in greenhouse gas concentration, but also the deposition of soot on Arctic ice. Due to the scarcity of long-term weather records in Greenland, especially in the interior, this precipitation climatology was developed by analyzing the annual layers in the snow to determine annual snow accumulation (in liquid equivalent) and was modified on the coast with a model to account for the effects of the terrain on precipitation amounts. Between 1947 and 1957, the United States and Canadian governments established a chain of stations along the Arctic coast known as the Distant Early Warning Line (DEWLINE) to provide warning of a Soviet nuclear attack. Winter temperatures average below freezing over all of the Arctic except for small regions in the southern Norwegian and Bering Seas, which remain ice free throughout the winter. First is the ice-albedo feedback, whereby an initial warming causes snow and ice to melt, exposing darker surfaces that absorb more sunlight, leading to more warming. Sixteenth- and seventeenth-century expeditions were largely driven by traders in search of these shortcuts between the Atlantic and the Pacific. The only regions that remain ice-free throughout the year are the southern part of the Barents Sea and most of the Norwegian Sea. In summer, the sea ice keeps the surface from warming above freezing. Canada’s Arctic Climate Region Canada’s Arctic Climate region can be found in the far north of the country close to the Arctic Ocean. Civilian scientific research on the ground has certainly continued in the Arctic, and it is getting a boost from 2007 to 2009 as nations around the world increase spending on polar research as part of the third International Polar Year. Over most of the seas that are ice-covered seasonally, winter temperatures average between about −30 and −15 °C (−22 and 5 °F). Serreze, Mark C. and Roger Graham Barry, 2005: ocean surrounding the North Pole was ice-free, summer sea ice transitions through spring thaw, summer melt ponds, and autumn freeze-up, "Representation of Mean Arctic Precipitation from NCEP–NCAR and ERA Reanalyses", 10.1175/1520-0442(2000)013<0182:ROMAPF>2.0.CO;2, Aerosols May Drive a Significant Portion of Arctic Warming, "Studies of the Arctic Suggest a Dire Situation", Video on Climate Research in the Bering Sea, The Future of Arctic Climate and Global Impacts, How Climate Change Is Growing Forests in the Arctic, Arctic Ice Caps May Be More Prone to Melt; A new core pulled from Siberia reveals a 2.8-million-year history of warming and cooling, Chief Directorate of the Northern Sea Route, United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, Effects of global warming on marine mammals, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Climate_of_the_Arctic&oldid=995732263, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2018, Wikipedia articles that may have off-topic sections from July 2018, All articles that may have off-topic sections, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, The Arctic Basin includes the Arctic Ocean within the average minimum extent of sea ice, The entire island of Greenland, although its, The Arctic waters that are not sea ice in late summer, including. ; see precipitation ) from 2040 at the normal climate, we can at... 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