In 2023, the average summer air temperature in the Arctic became the highest in the entire history of observations in the region, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported.
"The average air temperature of the lower atmosphere in the Arctic over the past year was the sixth warmest since 1900 and amounted to 20 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 7 degrees Celsius). The average temperature in the Arctic in summer was the warmest in the entire history of observations and amounted to 43 degrees Fahrenheit (6.4 degrees Celsius)," said the office citing a study by 82 scientists from 13 countries.
According to a report published on the department's website, since 1940, the average annual temperature in the Arctic has been increasing by 0.25 degrees Celsius in 10 years, and the average temperature in summer by 0.17 degrees, ria.ru reports.
Scientists also found out that in 2023, the area of sea ice in the Arctic continued to decrease. "This year, the sea ice area was the sixth lowest in the history of satellite observations that began in 1979, with older and thicker long-term ice being much thinner than in the 1980s," the report says.
Alex Shishlo for Rough&Polished
