Martin Sommerkorn

1
Martin Sommerkorn WWF International Arctic
Programme
2
The Arctic is warming...
3
...with global consequences
Amplification of global warming in the Arctic
will have fundamental impacts on Northern
Hemisphere weather and climate.
The global ocean circulation system will change
under the strong influence of arctic warming.
The loss of ice from the Greenland Ice Sheet has
increased and will contribute substantially to
global sea level rise.
Arctic marine systems currently provide a
substantial carbon sink but the continuation of
this service depends critically on arctic climate
change impacts.
Arctic terrestrial ecosystems will continue to
take up carbon, but warming and changes in
surface hydrology will cause a far greater
release of carbon.
The degradation of arctic sub-sea permafrost is
already releasing methane from the massive
methane hydrate pool and more is expected with
further warming.
4
Report Team
Contributions from Mark C. Serreze Julienne
Stroeve (Atmospheric Circulation
Feedbacks) Cecilie Mauritzen (Ocean
Circulation Feedbacks) Anny Cazenave Eric
Rignot (Ice Sheets and Sea-level Rise
Feedbacks) Nicholas R. Bates
(Marine Carbon Cycle Feedbacks) Josep G. Canadell
Michael R. Raupach (Land Carbon Cycle
Feedbacks) Natalia Shakhova Igor Semiletov
(Methane Hydrate Feedbacks)
Peer-review by Robert Corell David Carlson
5
Arctic Climate Feedbacks
Amplification of global warming in the Arctic
will have fundamental impacts on Northern
Hemisphere weather and climate.
The global ocean circulation system will change
under the strong influence of arctic warming.
The loss of ice from the Greenland Ice Sheet has
increased and will contribute substantially to
global sea level rise.
Arctic marine systems currently provide a
substantial carbon sink but the continuation of
this service depends critically on arctic climate
change impacts.
Arctic terrestrial ecosystems will continue to
take up carbon, but warming and changes in
surface hydrology will cause a far greater
release of carbon.
The degradation of arctic sub-sea permafrost is
already releasing methane from the massive
methane hydrate pool and more is expected with
further warming.
6
Ice sheet melt will be the primary contributor to
future sea-level rise
7
Methane is released to the atmosphere from
seafloor permafrost of shallow arctic shelf seas
8
Reduced sea ice amplifies warming, changing
weather patterns
9
Reduced sea ice amplifies warming, amplified
warming spreads over land
10
CO2 emissions a long-term commitment
(Hansen et al., 2007)
11
Fossil fuel emissionstrack IPCCs worst case
scenario
1990-1999 1.5 ppm / yr 2000-2007 2.0 ppm /
yr 2007 2.2 ppm / yr
(Global Carbon Project, 2008)
12
Inaction is the tightest spot
(Meinshausen et al., 2009)
13
Inaction is the tightest spot
(Meinshausen et al., 2009)
14
Download the report and accompanying material
from www.panda.org/arctic
Thank you!
15
The Arctic is warming...