Warming of the Arctic Ocean and Nearby Seas

Global and Planetary Change, October 1

From 1982 to 2018, the Arctic Ocean and its surrounding seas have warmed by 1.3°C, with the greatest rate of warming occurring during the summer months, at +0.03°C/yr. The Greenland, Norwegian, Barents, and Chukchi Seas experienced the strongest warming due to incursion of warming waters from the mid-latitudes of the Atlantic and Pacific. Variations in sea surface temperature across the Arctic Basin is otherwise largely influenced by differences in air temperature, water vapor, and sea ice concentration. Warming Arctic waters play a crucial role in the global climate system by impacting mechanisms such as Greenland melt, sea ice loss, and permafrost thaw; and has been implicated in changes in the jet stream and extreme weather events in North America and Eurasia.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921818120301569

Compiled by Amy Imdieke.