The Environmental Monitoring System for Svalbard and Jan Mayen (MOSJ)
observes and describes environmental conditions in the Norwegian Arctic. A
new MOSJ-report focuses on climate indicators.
The report "Status and development of climate indicators in the Norwegian
Arctic" presents a thorough analysis of several climate indicators on
Svalbard and Jan Mayen. Editor John Richard Hansen from the Norwegian Polar
Institute summarizes the results:
"The studied parameters show that the climate in the Norwegian Arctic is
changing. We can see a distinct increase in sea water temperatures, both in
ocean currents west of Spitsbergen as well as in the Fram Strait. Sea ice
extent and thickness have been reduced. Trends in air temperature and
precipitation show clear changes. Air temperatures have been rising
gradually and most pronounced during the last years. Precipitation has also
been increasing. As a result of increasing air temperatures and reduced sea
ice extent, permafrost temperatures are rising too.
According to the authors, it is too early to draw conclucions about the
effect of the observed changes, though they expect major impacts on the
ecosystem.
(Source: www.npolar.no)
Read more:
About MOSJ:
http://mosj.npolar.no/startsiden (Norwegian only)
The report can be downloaded here (Norwegian only):
http://brage.bibsys.no/npolar/handle/URN:NBN:no-bibsys_brage_13521
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Observed mean annual temperatures at Svalbard airport, Longyearbyen,
over a time period of 100 years. In addition to mean values, a filter,
smoothening variations on a timescale shorter than 10 years, is shown as
a thin green line. A linear trend line (bold green) is also added
(Figure: MOSJ-Report 130).
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