Prof. Dr. Peter Schlosser
Dept of Earth and Environmental Engineering and Dept of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Columbia University, New York
Environmental Arctic Change: observations, causes and links to lower latitudes
Recent observations revealed drastic changes in the Arctic. The
changes cross the physical, chemical, biological and human domains
and are of pan-Arctic scale. They include warming of the atmosphere,
changes in oceanic water masses and circulation, warming/thawing of
permafrost, or migration of vegetation zones. They have significant
amplitudes and already impact societies living in the far north. Many of
the changes are larger than those in the instrumental records. They are
similar to the changes seen in simulations of the Arctic system using
coupled general circulation models. These model simulations show a strong
amplification of the global warming signal at high northern latitudes. In
this presentation, the observed changes are reviewed and their possible
causes are discussed. Additionally, they are placed into the context of
changes occurring at lower latitudes. Finally, the impacts of the changes
are highlighted.