Arctic "report card" points to rapid and dramatic impacts of climate change

Large icebergs and smaller pieces of ice melt in the ocean waters near Ilulissat, Greenland on Sept. 7, 2023. The icebergs broke free from Sermeq Kujalleq, one of the largest and fastest moving Greenland outlet glaciers. Ice loss from Greenland has increased substantially during the 21st century and continued in 2023. (Twila Moon/National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC))

This past summer in the Arctic was the warmest since 1900, contributing to disasters across the wider region, including flooding in Juneau, Alaska and a record wildfire season in Canada.

Those are some key takeaways from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's annual Arctic Report Card, released today. The Arctic is warming nearly four times faster than the global average as a result of human-caused climate change, driven primarily by burning fossil fuels.