This is the 33rd issuance of the annual assessment now known as State of the Climate, published in the Bulletin since 1996. As a supplement to the Bulletin, its foremost function is to document the status and trajectory of many components of the climate system. However, as a series, the …
Permafrost contains almost twice as much carbon as the atmosphere. As the Earth warms, permafrost thaws, releasing carbon dioxide and methane to the atmosphere. The amount and rate of this carbon release will greatly impact Earth’s climate trajectory. Carbon emissions from thawing arctic permafrost will become substantial within decades, likely …
The Antarctic ozone hole would have been 40% bigger by now if ozone-depleting chemicals had not been banned in the 1980s, according to research. Models also show that at certain times, a large hole would have opened up at the other end of the globe. The Arctic hole would have …
At least 200 Seattle environmental protesters blocked the entrance to a terminal in Seattle’s port on Monday where a massive Royal Dutch Shell drill rig is temporarily resting on its way to explore for oil in Alaska this summer. The 400ft long, 355ft tall Shell rig, named Polar Pioneer, has …
Environmental groups and experts hit out at the US government on Tuesday following its announcement that the Anglo-Dutch oil giant Shell would be allowed to resume offshore exploration and drilling in the Arctic’s American waters. Unforgiving conditions in the Arctic’s icy waters not only make the chances of a spill …
Arctic permafrost soils store large amounts of soil organic carbon (SOC) that could be released into the atmosphere as methane (CH4) in a future warmer climate. How warming affects the complex microbial network decomposing SOC is not understood. The researchers studied CH4 production of Arctic peat soil microbiota in anoxic …
Environmentalists accuse the government of ‘looking the other way’ after US gives green light for Shell to restart drilling for oil and gas The US government has given Shell approval to restart drilling in the Arctic despite repeated warnings from environmentalists that it could lead to an ecological disaster. The …
While climatologists are carefully watching carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, another group of scientists is exploring a massive storehouse of carbon that has the potential to significantly affect the climate change picture. University of Georgia Skidaway Institute of Oceanography researcher Aron Stubbins is part of a team investigating how …
There was less ice in the Arctic this winter than in any other winter during the satellite era, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientists said on Tuesday. The announcement was consistent with previous predictions that the Arctic would have entirely ice-free summers by 2040, they said in a briefing to …
Strong ocean currents promote the release of the potent greenhouse gas methane in the Arctic, according to new research, shedding light on how they may contribute to climate change. According to Ocean and Earth Science researchers from the University of Southampton, these currents inhibit the growth of marine bacteria that …
Last week, I reported on a serious but little discussed threat to the climate system: As the frozen Arctic soil known as “permafrost” thaws, it could release a large amount of carbon — in the form of both carbon dioxide and methane — to the atmosphere. And this new source …
President Barack Obama has seemingly spent a lot of his second term trying to cement his reputation as one of the United States’s most environmentally conscious leaders. However, his most recent decision to approve controversial oil and gas drilling in the Arctic is certain to lose him favor within the …
The US government is expected this week to give the go-ahead to a controversial plan by Shell to restart drilling for oil in the Arctic. The green light from Sally Jewell, the interior secretary, will spark protests from environmentalists who have campaigned against proposed exploration by the Anglo-Dutch group in …
Black carbon is the second largest contributor to human-induced climate warming, after carbon dioxide. International shipping is a major source of diesel black carbon emissions and not yet subject to international regulation. This paper investigates the contribution of black carbon from shipping to the global diesel black carbon inventory, by …
Arctic sea ice this year is the smallest in winter since satellite records began in 1979, in a new sign of long-term climate change, US data showed on Thursday. The ice floating on the Arctic Ocean around the North Pole reached its maximum annual extent of just 14.54 million square …
Mercury pollution has risen nearly 50-fold in the feathers of a breed of Arctic bird over the past 130 years, say scientists. Analysis of museum specimens shows high mercury levels in the endangered ivory gull. It could have implications for the bird's ability to breed and raise chicks, says a …
Presentation by Marianne T. Lund of Center for International Climate and Environmental Research - Oslo (CICERO) at Anil Agarwal Dialogue 2015: Poor in climate change, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, March 11 – 12, 2015.
As the climate warms, the carbon balance of arctic ecosystems will respond in two opposing ways: Plants will grow faster, leading to a carbon sink, while thawing permafrost will lead to decomposition and loss of soil carbon. However, thawing permafrost also releases nitrogen that fertilizes plant growth, offsetting some carbon …
Most people know that the Arctic ice is thinning as temperatures warm. But now, scientists are realizing the full extent of this thinning; after compiling modern and historical measurements, researchers have found that the ice has declined steadily for years. "The ice is thinning dramatically," said Ron Lindsay, lead author …
The Arctic has warmed significantly more than global mean surface air temperature over recent decades, as expected from amplification mechanisms. Previous studies have attributed the observed Arctic warming to the combined effect of greenhouse gases and other anthropogenic influences. However, given the sensitivity of the Arctic to external forcing and …
Marine vessels are a large source of greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions, including CO2, NOX, SOX, particulate matter and black carbon, which impact local air quality, human health, and the global climate. Since the record-low Arctic Sea ice extent recorded in September of 2012, vessel activity and the associated …
