Earth’s arctic region experiences a more potent warming effect than other parts of the globe from greenhouse gas accumulation in the atmosphere. Global warming of the earth’s surface is not uniformly distributed. Annual mean surface temperatures in parts of the arctic circle have increased three to four degrees Celsius above their respective levels in 1979, whereas the 2023 global mean was 1.5 degrees above the first comprehensive measurement in 1880. The annual mean temperature measured at the Svalbard airport in Longyearbyen was -8.4 degrees Celsius in 1902 and -2.0 degrees Celsius in 2022.
Probably the ice-albedo feedback loop is majorly responsible for this phenomenon. Basically as temperatures rise, arctic ice melts and uncovers ocean beneath it. Ice reflects ten times more of the sun’s energy than open ocean. When ice melts, more energy is absorbed by the arctic ocean surface beneath it. This raises temperatures and the cycle repeats, ad infinitum. According to this simplified model, the melting of the arctic sea ice and the elevating of arctic temperatures should both runaway exponentially.
Norway is a global leader in energy and is helping to chart the path to decarbonization by investing in renewable technologies like vehicle electrification and carbon capture processes in their enormous oil and gas industry. I am sure that no one in Svalbard disputes global warming. Hopefully some locals can share with me their observations regarding the change they have seen and how it has impacted their lives. I admire the shrewd perspective that Norwegians have due to their unique geographical and historical circumstances, and their initiative to solve the problems they are facing.
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