Despite a slowdown in global warming in the Arctic in 2009, the first half of 2010 made up for it with temperatures over 7.2 degrees above normal in Northern Canada. According to the annual Arctic Report Card issued by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the extent of sea ice dropped to one of the lowest levels on record and winter snow accumulation on land was the lowest its been since recordkeeping began in 1966.
The lead sentence on NOAA’s Arctic Report Card website is: “Return to previous Arctic conditions is unlikely.” The report card is prepared by 69 researchers from eight countries.
For more information, go to http://www.arctic.noaa.gov/reportcard.
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