Climate change: A new report found the Arctic saw near-record heat in 2019. It's an ominous sign for the future of the planet

The Arctic's snow and ice are the planet's air-conditioner, reflecting the sun's energy back into space and keeping temperatures around the North Pole cool.

But a new report shows there are signs that this critical cooling system may be breaking down, and the impacts of what is happening in the Arctic are being felt by people and ecosystems far beyond.


In 2019, average air temperatures in the Arctic were 1.9 degrees Celsius (3.42 degrees Fahrenheit) above normal, the second-hottest recorded since 1900, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's annual Arctic Report Card, published Tuesday.

The high temperatures in 2019 are another sign that the current period of Arctic warming shows no signs of stopping.

Since the mid-1990s, the Arctic has experienced levels of warming that are more than double the global average. And since 2014, every year in the Arctic has been warmer than any year between 1900-2014, the study found.

The authors say these exceptionally high air temperatures are at the root of the other impacts chronicled in the report -- from shrinking sea ice cover and shifts in fish species distributions, to near-record melting on Greenland's ice sheet and permafrost thaw.

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