Warming from greenhouse gases has trumped the Arctic’s millennia-long natural cooling cycle, according to new research published in the journal Science. The studies suggest human-induced changes could transform not only the Arctic but climate conditions across the world, reiterating the findings of a new study by the environment group WWF warning runaway warming of the Arctic threatens to spread climate havoc across the globe in the coming decades. The Washington Post quotes National Center for Atmospheric Research visiting scientist David Schneider, one of the Science article’s co-authors: It’s basically saying the greenhouse gas emissions are overwhelming the system. As part of a 21,000-year cycle, energy the Arctic has been receiving from the summer sun has been diminishing for the past 8,000 years. That decline in solar insolation won’t reverse for another 4,000 years. The Arctic was cooling from A.D. 1 until 1900, as is normal. Arctic summer temperatures then began climbing in 1900 and accelerated further after 1950. The decade from 1999 to 2008 was the warmest in the Arctic in two millennia. Arctic temperatures are now 2.2 degrees F (1.2 degrees C) warmer than in 1900. Joseph Romm has posted this illustrative graphic at Climate Progress:
September 11th, 2009 by Jim JustWarming from greenhouse gases has trumped the Arctic’s millennia-long natural cooling cycle, according to new research published in the journal Science. The studies suggest human-induced changes could transform not only the Arctic but climate conditions across the world, reiterating the findings of a new study by the environment group WWF warning runaway warming of the Arctic threatens to spread climate havoc across the globe in the coming decades.
The Washington Post quotes National Center for Atmospheric Research visiting scientist David Schneider, one of the Science article’s co-authors:
It’s basically saying the greenhouse gas emissions are overwhelming the system.
As part of a 21,000-year cycle, energy the Arctic has been receiving from the summer sun has been diminishing for the past 8,000 years. That decline in solar insolation won’t reverse for another 4,000 years. The Arctic was cooling from A.D. 1 until 1900, as is normal. Arctic summer temperatures then began climbing in 1900 and accelerated further after 1950. The decade from 1999 to 2008 was the warmest in the Arctic in two millennia. Arctic temperatures are now 2.2 degrees F (1.2 degrees C) warmer than in 1900.
Joseph Romm has posted this illustrative graphic at Climate Progress:
