Arctic greening is more complicated than previously thought.

The most drastic changes caused by the global climate crisis are happening in the Arctic. Temperatures are far above previous measurements; permafrost is thawing, and glaciers are disappearing. One of the most visible changes is the greening of the Arctic. 

With higher temperatures, snow is melting earlier, and plants have a chance to grow earlier in the season. Once the plants grow tall enough, they may not be covered by snow anymore, absorb more sunlight, and heat up their surrounding areas even more. When you add the release of soil carbon by bacteria and the photosynthesis of plants into the mix, you will start to grasp the complexity and difficulty of predicting Arctic warming. 

In this article in Nature Climate Change, a large group of scientists from 36 institutes look at the greening process at different spatial and temporal scales. Using satellite data and new data captured from drones, as well as field observations, they are beginning to map the detailed patterns of greening in the Arctic. This knowledge is essential when we want to predict the effects that a warmer Arctic will have on the global carbon budget and climate change.

CBA's Frode Stordal and Anders Bryn, as well as Frans-Jan Parmentier from the EMERALD and WINTERPROOF projects, contributed to this new and exciting study.

Read more about the processes and complexities of Arctic greening at Nature Climate Change and at National Geographic.