Global warming! Arctic temperatures hit record highs, scientists say: It's not surprising

But that's no surprise: Scientists say the current heat wave in the Arctic is unpredictable, reminding us once again of a pressing problem - global warming. Rising temperatures have also led to many forest fires in the region.

While the world continues to struggle with pandemics and is subject to protests against racial injustice, the climate crisis should not be forgotten. Tells you all you need to know about Arctic warming.

According to Dr. Jennifer Francis, a senior scientist at Woods Hole Research Center, the rise in Arctic temperatures is due to "strong air currents blowing northward," bringing warm air to the far north, where it stays for days or even weeks. As greenhouse gas emissions increase each year, this air is getting warmer and warmer, and record-high temperatures are increasing.

In addition, global warming causes the Arctic to melt snow in early spring. Dr. Francis says: "This exposes the dark surface of the Earth, which absorbs more sunlight and heats up faster, exacerbating the warming."

How the process has changed in the past few years?

According to Copernicus Climate Change Services, a company sponsored by the European Union, the average temperature in the Arctic this May was 10 degrees above normal. in early June, the thermometer column in the village rose to 30 degrees, the standard temperature for this time of year being 14 degrees. In June this year, the average temperature in Verkhoyansk was 20 degrees, a new record. The last anomalous heat wave was reportedly established in 1915 in Fort Yukon, Alaska, but the temperature did not rise to 37.7 degrees at that time.

Dr. Francis said the 38-degree heat not only broke the previous record but also broke the record. This is just one example of a series of rapid warmings in the Arctic. This region has been experiencing high fevers almost all winter. Since July 1900, temperatures in the Swedish village of Markusvins have risen by 34.8 degrees.

What's even more incredible is that the Arctic forests are on fire, and the Arctic heat wave isn't the only problem. This month, satellite images show a large number of fires in the region. Scientists believe their intensity may exceed what's been recorded over the past few years. But where are they coming from? "In general, the fires are caused by lightning. Or humans, as explained by Jessica McCarthy, who is an associate professor in the Department of Geography at the University of Miami. Trees, grasses, mosses and soils dry out from the heat and become more vulnerable in front of fires.

Arctic fires are a serious problem because they exacerbate global warming and endanger local flora and fauna. McCarthy continues, "Fires at or near the permafrost could destroy them, leading to significant greenhouse gas emissions." After the permafrost melts, the sediment may dry out and burn, triggering more fires and melting. This creates a cycle.

The effects of abnormally high temperatures on the planet, we all know that melting glaciers cause sea levels to rise, and the high temperatures in the Arctic will not improve this situation. "The rapid rise in Arctic temperatures and the melting of glaciers affects us all. They exacerbate global warming, accelerating sea level rise, and change weather patterns," Dr. Francis said.

The Greenland ice sheet is melting seven times faster than it did in the 1990s. an intergovernmental panel on climate change report published in September 2019 warns that global sea levels are rising faster than all predictions, leading to the possibility that low-lying islands and coastal cities could soon be submerged.

What can we do now?

The Arctic situation is another reminder that we must take steps to address the climate crisis as soon as possible. "We must do what we can to slow global warming and glacial melting. This will reduce the negative impacts on local people and all of humanity, says Dr. Francis. To do this, one of the most important tasks is to abandon fossil fuels: "It all comes down to significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions and developing a technology to clean up carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

This technology is already imminent, but of course, green plants can also reduce carbon emissions, and green ecology is particularly important. So as ordinary people, we should care more about the ecological environment, so that our future will be better.