Arctic heats up 4x faster than the rest of the planet, says study

According to a report published on the scientific portal Communications Earth&Environment. , the Arctic Circle region has warmed at a rate four times faster than the rest of the planet over the past 40 years – a phenomenon known as Arctic amplification.

The Arctic has been warming by an average of 0,75ºC every decade, these scientists say.

“Until now, the belief was that the Arctic was warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet, so I was a little surprised when our data was much higher,” reported Antti Lipponen, study co-author and member of the Meteorological Institute Finnish.

There are divergent opinions in the scientific community about the exact limits of the region, which includes the Arctic Ocean and the continental mass, and about the periods that are taken as a basis for study.

The warming of the Arctic region is having a profound impact on local communities and wildlife, such as polar bears. 

“Climate change is caused by humans. As the Arctic warms, its glaciers will melt and this will affect sea levels globally,” explained Lipponen.

Curto curation:

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With information from AFP.

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