Arctic Report Card: Update for 2010- Tracking recent environmental changes
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Material Information

Title:
Arctic Report Card: Update for 2010- Tracking recent environmental changes
Creator:
J. Richter- Menge
J.E. Overland
Publisher:
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Publication Date:
Language:
English

Subjects

Subjects / Keywords:
climate change
Arctic regions
Greenland
Ocean

Notes

Summary:
In 2009 the annual wind-driven Arctic Ocean circulation regime was cyclonic for the first time since 1997. This regime significantly influenced the characteristics of the sea ice cover and ocean: maximum upper ocean temperatures in summer 2009 continued to decline relative to the historical extreme warm conditions observed in summer 2007; surface-layer waters in the Arctic Ocean in 2009 remained much fresher than in the 1970s and were comparable to 2008 conditions; and the sea level along the Siberian coastline significantly decreased relative to 2008. An interesting change in ocean geochemistry was observed in the Canada Basin. The combination of an increase in the amount of melt water from the sea ice cover and CO2 uptake (acidification) in the ocean caused the surface waters of the Canada Basin to become corrosive to calcifying organisms.

Record Information

Source Institution:
Florida International University
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