Arctic Change: Climate Indicators

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[an error occurred while processing this directive] OVERVIEW

[an error occurred while processing this directive] TABLE OF INDICATORS

CLIMATE

[an error occurred while processing this directive] Arctic Oscillation
[an error occurred while processing this directive] Surface Temps
[an error occurred while processing this directive] Stratospheric Temps
[an error occurred while processing this directive] Clouds
[an error occurred while processing this directive] Ocean

GLOBAL

[an error occurred while processing this directive] Global Temperatures [an error occurred while processing this directive] City Temps
[an error occurred while processing this directive] Ocean Overturning

LAND

[an error occurred while processing this directive] Roads
[an error occurred while processing this directive] Permafrost
[an error occurred while processing this directive] Tundra
[an error occurred while processing this directive] Rivers
[an error occurred while processing this directive] Waterfowl
[an error occurred while processing this directive] Caribou

MARINE ECOSYSTEM

[an error occurred while processing this directive] Overview
[an error occurred while processing this directive] Bering Sea
[an error occurred while processing this directive] Barents Sea
[an error occurred while processing this directive] Greenland

ICE

[an error occurred while processing this directive] Sea Ice
[an error occurred while processing this directive] North Pole
[an error occurred while processing this directive] Glaciers
[an error occurred while processing this directive] Snow Cover

HUMAN

[an error occurred while processing this directive] Socio-economic
[an error occurred while processing this directive] Shishmaref
[an error occurred while processing this directive] Marine Access
[an error occurred while processing this directive] Canadian Marine
[an error occurred while processing this directive] Roads

Climate Indicators - Clouds

Arctic Oscillation | Surface Temperatures | Stratospheric Temperatures | Clouds | Ocean

Clouds are important to the Arctic climate because they trap warm temperatures and reflect sunlight in spring and summer. There has been a nearly linear increase in the cloud cover over the central Arctic in the previous two decades. The linear trend of the time series and the western Arctic location of the major changes contrasts with the regime-like variation of the Arctic Oscillation. The difference between the linear trend of clouds and the behavior of the Arctic Oscillation highlights present uncertainties in understanding Arctic climate.

$Time series of seasonally averaged cloud fraction$
Time series of seasonally averaged cloud fraction over the arctic seas in spring (March, April, May). Provided by Axel J. Schweiger.	Spatial distribution of trends in cloud cover over twenty years. Provided by Axel J. Schweiger.

Find more information (references and websites):

Schweiger, A.J. (2004) Changes in seasonal cloud cover over the Arctic seas from satellite and surface observations, Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 31, L2207, doi:10.1029/2004GL020067, 2004.