TIL: It's Currently 20°C Hotter In The North Pole Than It Should Be

The climate change has been discussed for years and years now - scientists have been warning the world about it, but our actions were simply not significant enough to decrease it.

Today, I read an article that the north pole is currently 20°C warmer than it should be. 20°C (36°F) that's an enormous difference!

That's the difference between being able to step out in a light sweater, or having to put on a thick winter jacket!

The red areas show any parts of the North Pole that are 20°C too warm

The average temperature of several weather stations around the north pole was only -5,6°C (21,9°F).
So currently, it would be possible to walk around the north pole with a regular winter jacket - but instead, the temperatures should be around -30°C (-22°F)!
Currently, it's polar night at the north pole - this is usually the time of the year where the sun can't reach the ice's surface, and ice would be supposed to thicken again.

Last week, the WMO (World Meteorological Organization) had already announce that this year 2016 has been the hottest since the beginnings of history.

The effects that this will have on our planet are so immense and complex, that it's hard to even imagine.

The ocean temperatures are also 25°F above average.
When the ice is already thin in one winter, (like it was last year) it melts much quicker the next summer.
But this also means that the arctic was ice-free much quicker than usual, and since water is much darker than snow, it doesn't reflect the warmth of the summer - it absorbs it. The water temperature rises, which makes it even harder for an ice layer to form in the next winter.

So what exactly caused these extreme temperatures in the north pole this year?

Jennifer Francis, a climate- and arctic expert, explained this in an interview with the Washington Post:

“The Arctic warmth is the result of a combination of record-low sea-ice extent for this time of year, probably very thin ice, and plenty of warm/moist air from lower latitudes being driven northward by a very wavy jet stream.”

Hot and moist air masses in combination with the thin ice over the sea were the main factors. The so-called ***Jetstream*** also plays a very important role in this - it's a stream of air that flows from west to east, and the more the arctic is getting warmer in comparison to the equator, the more significant are its influences. But it's not only getting *hotter* everywhere - certain regions of siberia are currently facing a record-breaking *cold*. **Experts suggest that this is also linked to the Jetstream.**

A hot winter like this year's could result in a very thin ice layer that melts quickly in summer 2017, which in turn will cause problems for a new ice sheet to form in next winter. It's a vicious cycle, and humans desperately need to fight it.

Source for the TIL, Images: 1, 2, 3, 4

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