Annual report finds climate change destabilizing Arctic

Arctic sea ice saw its lowest recorded level on record in April as rapid warming continues to destabilize the region, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Arctic Report Card.

The research found that multiyear sea ice hit its second-lowest level since it was first recorded in 1985 by late summer of this year, while in April volume was the lowest it has been since recording started in 2010.

The period between October 2020 and September 2021 was the seventh-warmest for land temperatures dating back to 1900, when record-keeping began, according to the report card. Meanwhile, surface air temperatures from October to December 2020 also reached record highs for both the Pan-Arctic and Asian-Arctic regions.

Researchers additionally found that increased atmospheric carbon is likely acidifying the Arctic Ocean at a faster rate than the ocean as a whole.

While the warming is indicative of worldwide changes, it’s also a direct threat to the residents of the area. Research included in the report card found that warming has been a threat multiplier for Alaska Natives; in addition to facing reduced salmon harvests, likely as a result of climate factors, Natives have been kept from harvesting grounds by social distancing requirements, and supply chain crunches have limited their options for buying food in retail settings.

Warming has also given shipping vessels new access to shipping routes previously blocked by ice, leading to increased pollution and dumping of debris from ships passing through the Bering Strait, which also hurts native peoples’ food access. Wildlife, meanwhile, are affected by the increased ambient noise this traffic creates.

“The Arctic story is a human story, and we all have a role to play in creating the best possible outcomes for the region, its residents, and all the citizens of the globe who depend on the Arctic as a critical component of our Earth system,” the researchers wrote in their executive summary.

The report comes the same day the World Meteorological Organization certified a record-high Arctic temperature last summer.