Researchers have uncovered compelling evidence that the fact that the Arctic sea ice is shrinking has some consequences regarding the raining and snowing in central North America.
About 8,000 years ago, the disappearing Arctic sea ice caused an extended dry period through the center of the continent, according to a study published in the journal Nature on Wednesday. The extreme weather we have today is also believed by climatologists to have been caused by the same thing.
“We have really strong evidence there is a connection,” said Cody Routson of Northern Arizona University. “Moving forward, this mechanism should be really important.”
The consequences of the Arctic sea ice shrinking could be experienced soon
Routson along with his team of colleagues analyzed a period between 2,000 and 10,000 years ago. Routson thought it was time to widen the scope as he has been interested in the fluctuations of local ancient climates for a long while now. “I had this sense that there were other factors that were bigger,” Routson said.
There is a temperature difference between the equator and the Arctic, so the researcher decided to look at it. A high-altitude river of air that strongly influences the air, the jet stream, the moisture circulation and temperature around the world are powered by that gap. Data from 219 sites around the world have been combined by the team, and ice cores and lake sediments were used for the development of a large-scale temperature record going back millennia for the Arctic and mid-latitudes. Some other materials that were used by them include fossilized tree pollen.
About 8,000 years ago it was discovered by researchers that there is a difference in temperature between the Arctic and the equator, and the regular rotation of the orientation of the sun of the Earth has caused this change. Now, that the Arctic sea ice is shrinking, we might soon face extreme drought in the center of North America.
Doris’s passion for writing started to take shape in college where she was editor-in-chief of the college newspaper. Even though she ended up working in IT for more than 7 years, she’s now back to what he always enjoyed doing. With a true passion for technology, Doris mostly covers tech-related topics.