2014 Arctic Report Card: Visual Highlights
Polar bears on sea ice near the Svalbard archipelago. Photo by Martha de Jong-Lantink under CC license.
The latest installment of NOAA's Arctic Report Card confirms that Arctic air temperatures are rising at more than twice the rate of the planet as a whole. The amount of ice that survives the summer melt season is shrinking, and water temperatures are rising. Some polar bear populations are declining. The number of snow days is falling. The Greenland Ice Sheet is becoming less able to reflect incoming sunlight. Click the images below to learn more.
Full Press Release | Arctic Report Card 2014
Below are links to four image-based stories that highlight some findings from this year's report.
Polar bear update
Polar bear fortunes vary across the Arctic. Full story.
Fewer snow-covered days
At end of spring 2014, Northern Hemisphere snow cover below average for tenth year in a row. Full story.
Greenland reflecting less sunlight
Reflectivity of Greenland Ice Sheet in late summer hit new low in 2014. Full story.
Arctic Ocean temperatures
Summer 2014 brought above-average warmth to western Arctic waters. Full story.
Additional years' coverage