May 2, 2011

The international Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program (AMAP) compiles the latest science on how climate change has impacted the Arctic in the past six years. Their new assessment of climate change in the Arctic shows the ice in the region is melting faster than previously thought and sharply raises projections of global sea level rise this century. A summary of the key findings shows Arctic temperatures during the past six years were the highest since measurements began in 1880. It said melting Arctic glaciers and ice caps are projected to help raise global sea levels by 35 to 63 inches by 2100. That's up from a 2007 projection of 7 to 23 inches by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.