The latest report about the melting arctic comes as frustrations flared in Doha, Qatar, over the slow progress at U.N. climate talks to reach a global agreement on reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. The buildup of these gases is elevating average global temperatures, with the most pronounced changes in the northernmost latitudes.
"The Arctic is an extremely sensitive part of the world," said Jane Lubchenco, administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. As it warms, she said, "We see the results with less snow and sea ice, greater ice sheet melt and changing vegetation."
Speaking at the fall meeting of American Geophysical Union in San Francisco, Lubchenco and other scientists unveiled the annual update of the Arctic Report Card, a collaboration of more than 140 scientists that summarizes ways the Arctic continues to grow warmer and greener.
Among this year's findings: