Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Long-term Arctic temperature trends reverse

After cooling for nearly 2,000 years, the cooling trend has reversed in the Arctic regions of the Earth, according to a study released last week in Science magazine.

Northern Arizona University researchers used samples of lake soil as well as data from weather stations in the Arctic to create a decade-by-decade history for the average temperatures of the region. From the year 1 AD until 1900, the researchers estimated that the region cooled by .2 degrees Celsius per 100 years. However, by 1950, the temperatures in the region were .7 degrees warmer than would be expected at the rate of change demonstrated during the previous 1,900 years had continued.

It is important to note that this data supports the data of other studies which has suggested that temperature patterns in the Arctic regions of the Earth have changed during recent years. For more information on the study, check out this story from Business Green.