Any kind of ecological or human activity that requires snow or snow-free conditions are bound to be affected by that. |
Because of these feedbacks, there are lots of reasons to think that this warming will continue. |
Each of these changes seems to trigger other changes that mean more changes will occur. |
I think that (packed byline) is an increasing trend when you get real large-scale issues like this. No one person knows how to put it all together. |
It's not to say this (rapid warming scenario) is something that will happen. But it's based on a plausible future. |
The climate's warming more rapidly in summer than previously thought. The warming in Alaska is mostly due to an increase of the snow-free season. This is going to profoundly influence anything that is limited to the snow season. |
There's been a long-term interest in why it is that high latitude climate seems to be warming more rapidly than the rest of the world. Basically, I thought that maybe vegetation would be having a large influence, but the bottom line of that paper is that snowmelt swamps the vegetation. |
This heat is added to the atmosphere, so the atmosphere in the north becomes warmer and is mixed with the global atmosphere. |
We're beginning to get backed into a corner. It's something worth trying. |