The Arctic Is in Dire Straits, 20 Years of Reporting Show
The Arctic is a dramatically different place than it was 20 years ago, when scientists first began giving it an annual checkup—and its current state is dire.
The first Arctic Report Card was released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in 2006. Since then the region has warmed twice as fast as the global average. About 95 percent of the oldest, thickest sea ice is gone—the sliver that remains is collected in an area north of Greenland. Even the central Arctic Ocean is becoming warmer and saltier, causing more ice melt and changing how much heat is released into the atmosphere in a way that affects weather patterns around the world.
Those are just some of the stark changes 20 years have wrought. The findings were highlighted in the 2025 Arctic Report Card, released on Tuesday.
“The very first Arctic Report Card in 2006 was issued because things were changing rapidly, and this need for rapid updates was felt keenly,” said Rick Thoman of the International Arctic Research Center at the University of Alaska Fairbanks during a press briefing at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union. “Every year does not have a new record, but cumulatively [the report] provides a record of where we’ve been and a guide—just a guide—to where we’re going.”
Between October 2024 and September 2025, surface air temperatures in the Arctic were at their warmest since at least 1900, according to the report. The 10 warmest years in the region have all fallen within the past decade.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-arctic-is-in-dire-straits-20-years-of-reporting-show/
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