The tundra is still burning and it is changing the map of the world

The Lost Ice Sheet of Greenland: Implication for the Future Climate Change and the Populations of Arctic Sea Seals and Arctic Wildfires

Between 22 and 77 billion tons of ice was lost last year in the Greenland ice sheet. That is the lowest level of ice loss since 2013) and it was thanks to above average snowfall. Moon states that it’s still enough ice water to raise global sea levels by.15 millimeters.

Moon pointed out that sea level rise is giving cause to coastal erosion, flooded roads, disruption of sewer systems and the pollution of drinking water.

Ice seal populations remain healthy despite warming water and declining sea ice. Moon said that Seals seem to be adapting to the changing climate by eating more warm water fish. “But we don’t know how well they can continue to adapt as warming continues,” she said.

One main reason is that they’re often eating less. Ice can form on the snow in thearctic winters due to the rain and freezing rain. It’s often not worth the energy for caribou to break through the ice for a nibble of the lichen found underneath.

If not for the vast stores of carbon in the Arctic permafrost, the consequences of climate change would already be much more intense today. The planet needs help from other parts of the world that are making more pollution.

Wildfires in North American permafrost regions have increased in recent decades. Since 2003, emissions from polar wildfires have averaged 207 million tons of carbon per year. Argentina and Austria are among industrialized countries that release a lot of carbon dioxide.

Brendan Rogers, a scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center who contributed to the Arctic Report Card, said emissions from the region are likely to continue as the climate warms.

The climate scientist at Columbia University, Risn Commane, didn’t take part in the research. She said polar scientists knew this could happen but she said it’s concerning to see the shift take place.

Climate Change in the Wild: A Report from the North American National Snow and Ice Data Center (NOAAC) at the Biological and Atmospheric Administration

Dead vegetation is a great fuel source for wildfires. Carbon is released quickly in plants and soil. Wildfires across areas with permafrost in North America have increased since the middle of the 20th century. There’s more carbon pollution from fire, they burn across larger areas.

The warming directly influences global sea-level rise, weather patterns, wildlife migrations, and other effects of human-caused climate change—all driven primarily by burning fossil fuels.

This year’s report comes as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office in January. Trump wants to increase oil exploration in the north and reduce government action on climate change.

At the Woodwell Climate Research Center, a scientist named Sue Natali is a contributor and she wasn’t talking about the incoming administration. But she said this year’s report demonstrates the importance of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and continuing climate change research.

She said that once the chicken is out of the freezer, it’s going to rot because the microbes are breaking it down. The same thing is happening in the permafrost.

Climate change isn’t changing the usual. The National Snow and Ice Data Center’s deputy lead scientist said at the conference that climate change is bringing ongoing and rapid change.

Some species are finding ways to adapt. Ice seals in Alaska, for example, have started to eat different kinds of fish depending on what’s available and seem to be staying healthy. Humans might be able to adapt if we understand how the environment is changing. 97 scientists from 11 different countries worked together on the report, produced by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.