Climate data show that winter temperatures in the northernmost regionsof the world have warmed alarmingly in a very short period. Parts ofAlaska and northern Eurasia, for example, have warmed by nearly 11degrees Fahrenheit in the winter months over the past 30 years. Climateevidence from the past four centuries gleaned from ice cores, lake cores,and tree rings indicates a gentler warming trend that extends back 400years.
This image shows the winter temperature trend in the Arctic from 1966 to1995. The scale is in degrees Celsius per decade. Over the 30-yearperiod shown, average winter temperatures in central Siberia warmed by asmuch as 6°C.
For more information, visit theState of the Cryosphere.
References & Resources
Image courtesy National Snow and Ice Data Center.
None
