Arctic Region hits record high temperature over land: NOAA

The average temperature over Arctic land for the year ending in September 2015 was the highest on record indicating that the Arctic is warming twice as fast as other parts of the Earth.
It was revealed by the annual Arctic Report Card of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a federal agency of US for monitoring condition of the oceans and the atmosphere.
Key facts

• The temperatures in areas at latitude 60 degrees north and higher i.e. over Arctic were 1.3 degrees Celsius above average for the year ending in September 2015.
• The recorded temperature rise is the warmest since observations began in 1900. Due to temperature rise the ice in this region is growing thinner each year.
• The sea ice coverage in the Arctic has reached its peak in February 2015 and marked the lowest extent since record-taking began in 1979.
• The newly formed thin ice comprises about 70 per cent of the winter ice cover in the Arctic Ocean compared to about half that in the 1980s.
• The rising temperatures are melting snow and ice cover in this region causing the ground and sea surface to absorb more heat.

Month: Current Affairs - December, 2015