Arctic Report Card 2010

There is evidence that the effect of higher air temperatures in the lower Arctic atmosphere in fall is contributing to changes in the atmospheric circulation in both the Arctic and northern mid-latitudes. [...] The magenta line indicates the median maximum and minimum extent of the ice cover in the given month for the period 1979–2000. [...] This was the latest date for the maximum ice extent observed in the 30 year satellite record and was due primarily to late ice growth in the Bering Sea, Barents Sea, and the Sea of Okhotsk. [...] The panels illustrate the substantial loss in the oldest ice types within the Arctic Basin in recent years compared to the late 1980s. [...] This regime significantly influenced the characteristics of the sea ice cover and ocean: maximum upper ocean temperatures in summer 2009 continued to decline relative to the historical extreme warm conditions observed in summer 2007; surface-layer waters in the Arctic Ocean in 2009 remained much fresher than in the 1970s and were comparable to 2008 conditions; and the sea level along the Siberian