2011: Arctic Temperatures Continue To Rise

One of the things that really concerns me about climate change is that it all seems to be moving way too fast in the Arctic.

Make no mistake: The ice in the Arctic is one of our best defences against global warming (By reflecting solar energy back into Space like a giant mirror). Without it, things will go to a whole new level.

It's now been reported that 2011 was the warmest yet in the Arctic (2.28 C above the base period of 1951-1980) beating the previous record set by 2010. This continues a disturbing trend that's been going on since the late Seventies (See the graph below).

Not surprisingly, sea ice extent (the area of sea covered by ice), as measured by satellite, reached it's second lowest level in 2011, whilst the volume of ice, reached a record low.

That's bad news for us because it means there's less ice reflecting solar energy away and more open water being warmed up. Result: More global warming. Not to mention what it's doing to the local wildlife, weather systems, and, presumably, ocean currents.

A warming Arctic has a further implication: Thawing permafrost. Permafrost is, as it's name suggests, ground that is always frozen. Now, however, large areas are thawing out in the Summer. "So what?" you might say. Well, this is releasing previously trapped carbon (in the form of methane) back into the atmosphere "at levels that are cause for serious concern.". (According to experts from Permafrost Carbon Network). Methane is many times more powerful than CO2 as a greenhouse gas and there is A LOT of the stuff currently locked up in the permafrost.

The bottom line is this: A disappearing Arctic ice cap and thawing permafrost could accelerate global warming beyond the point where we could control it.