Arctic Processes and the Global Climate

High latitudes have received attention recently because of significant changes in the atmosphere, sea ice, and ocean, and on land, especially in the Arctic. The surface air temperature in the Arctic has increased about twice as fast as the global air temperature. The Arctic sea-ice extent in summer has decreased by 35 % since 1979, and the sea ice thickness during late summer has declined in the Central Arctic by about 40 % since 1958