
Record-breaking amounts of ice-free water have deprived the Arctic of more of its natural "sunscreen" than ever in recent summers. The effect is so pronounced that sea surface temperatures rose to 5 C above average in one place this year, a high never before observed, says the oceanographer who has compiled the first-ever look at average sea surface temperatures for the region.
It's also likely that the warming ocean waters are responsible for warming winters in Alaska, Canada and the Upper Midwest.
You're in Easy Mode. If you prefer, you can use XHTML Mode instead. |