The scientists said that climate change in the Arctic – the beginning of a new era – UNIAN

Reuters

This was stated by Norwegian scientists, reports BBC BBC. Norwegian Polar Institute has for several years conducted a study of the Arctic ice cover in the coldest months of the year.

Read also The researchers described the climate in the future: Earth offers frequent droughts and snow Experts note the gradual transition of ice in the Arctic in another state when the permanent ice cover previously covered the ocean all year, is replaced by the melting of ice in the summer and even the disappearance of the ice on an enormous part of the area.

Norwegian researchers accounted for several months living on ice at low temperatures and polar night. Their mission – to collect data on the state of the ice in the winter months. The research vessel “Lance” wintered in Arctic region 800 kilometers from the North Pole, and drifted with the pack ice.

Director of the Institute Gunmar Jan Winther he says that the understanding of what is happening with Arctic ice in the winter, will help scientists improve the accuracy of future predictions of changes occurring in the global climate.

Meanwhile, US scientists reported that they had evidence the lowest area of ​​glaciers in the Arctic during the winter months in the history of satellite observations.

The main area of ​​research this year, held the expedition – studying the effects of long-term weight reduction of pack ice and an increase in the mass of ice over the young and thin.

Among the researchers studying the impact of these changes on polar biology, highlighted Dr. Haakon Hop, which leads a team of biologists working under the ice.

Under a layer of young ice is almost no signs of life – and that’s a long pack ice, the back of which is covered with cracks and fissures, life is much more diverse, “- he says. “We see that with decreasing area of ​​pack ice is reduced biodiversity: a young ice is difficult to find the same cluster crustaceans as perennial heavy ice” – adds Haakon Hop.

“This is a very serious problem, because These small crustaceans are at the bottom of the food chain, and their survival depends on the availability of many polar birds and marine animals, “- he says.

The data collected on the ice, used to calibrate measurements from satellites and aircraft. This is not an easy job. Scientists coming months to live in conditions of extremely low temperatures. During our visit to the vessel “Lance”, the temperature was kept at around -21 degrees, and with the wind – is -47 degrees.

Another danger, which we have seen with their own eyes – the polar bears. Dr. Jennifer King, along with a small group of colleagues were working on the ice in the spotlight from the ship when the illuminated area on the border there was a polar bear. “He was away at a distance of 25 meters on top of the hummock, and persistently looked in our direction,” – says Jennifer King. Bear managed to ward off flares.

In addition, the scientists have to constantly be on the alert in connection with the movements of the ice. During the expedition in the pack ice continuously arose deep cracks and movement of ice floes and ridges created sastrugi.

Several times, we have witnessed how the scientist had to quickly extract from the ice his instruments so as not to lose them . One day during the filming began a strong movement of ice fields, and we urgently had to go back to the ship.

says Jan Winther Gunmar young ice in the Arctic is becoming more drifts at a higher rate: “We know that now the ice is drifting faster than a hundred years ago. In a strongly affect the wind and weather conditions “.