Anomalous warmth in 2007 contributed to the lowest Arctic sea ice extent since satellite records began in 1979, surpassing the previous record low set in 2005 by a remarkable 23 percent. One of the important questions for arctic studies is related to the fate of arctic sea ice and its interconnections with global climate conditions. The 2007-2008 International Polar Year has provided a great deal of observational data and has registered many environmental parameters characterizing arctic conditions. The major goal of this session is to describe changes observed in the Arctic Ocean, compare them with existing climatology and assess the role of ocean in the changing arctic conditions.
The major objectives of this session are to:
- Assess changes in the ocean, sea ice and atmosphere in the Pan-arctic region during last 30 years using observational data and model results;
- Estimate contributions of natural and anthropogenic factors in the observed changes;
- Discuss future scenarios and consequences of the arctic system evolution.