Search Here

Rising temperature is causing the Arctic to warm twice faster than other parts of the world, a report card from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows.

According to Christian Science Monitor, land temperatures in the region saw a 2.3 degree Fahrenheit rise for the year ending in September 2015. This was the highest ever single-year rise recorded in the region since 1900. The region has recorded a five-degree Fahrenheit cumulative temperature rise since the turn of 20^th century.

"The Arctic is warming twice as fast as other parts of the planet, which has ramifications for global security, climate, commerce, and trade. This year's report shows the importance of international collaboration on sustained, long-term observing programs that provide insights to inform decisions by citizens, policymakers, and industry," NOAA's Rick Spinrad said during a press conference at the annual American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting in San Francisco.

Fortune reports that Walrus and fish species in the region are moving northward in search of colder waters as ice melting destroys habits. "Maximum Arctic Ocean sea ice extent, which occurred February 25, 2015, 15 days earlier than average, was the lowest extent recorded since records began in 1979. Minimum sea ice extent measured on September 11, 2015, was the fourth lowest in the satellite record since 1979," the report reads. Melting was witnessed across more than half of Greenland ice sheet and the melt season was 30 to 40 days longer than the average.

The report also points out that sea surface temperatures have also risen while freshwater discharge from Eurasian and North American rivers increased by 10 percent over the decade of 1980-89.