Global warming is wielding more power over the Arctic, with the region experiencing twice as much temperature growth as in the other parts of the world.
The information was released by experts at the first Climate and Cryosphere (CliC) International Science Conference held in Beijing.
"The Arctic is now getting warm rapidly and much larger changes are projected," said Hanne Petersen, director of Danish Polar Center. "It's very difficult for the animals and vegetation to adjust to the rapid changes. Many will die, instead of survive or evolve, in the rapid climate changes."
Meanwhile, some permafrost areas have become seasonal frost areas, threatening the safety of the arctic constructions.
Glaciers and ice caps in the Arctic, about 400,000 square kilometers wide, are found in an area that has experienced climate warming of one to two degrees Celsius over the past 50 years and it is projected to warm by up to eight degrees Celsius in the next century, said Martin Sharp from the University of Alberta in Canada.
Sea ice, an indicator of climate changes, had declined by about three percent per decade since 1978, but in recent years increased to a rate of nine percent per decade, reaching a record low in 2002. Thinning arctic sea ice will have dramatic impacts on the entire ecosystem, according to Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (ACIA).
The research was finished last November on Arctic climate changes after four years of study by about 500 experts from 15 countries.
Some ice-dependent marine mammals, such as walruses and polar bear, will be forced to find new habitats. Seals use sea ice as a breeding habitat and polar bears use it as a major hunting platform. Walruses stay on pack ice for most of the year, using land-based sites only during summer when sea ice is unavailable.
Many indigenous peoples depend on hunting polar bears, walruses, and seals. Distribution of the ice-dependent animals changes along with the ice packs, making it more difficult for hunters to find them, said Petersen.
The five-day conference has attracted about 300 experts from around the world and is slated to close on Friday.
(Xinhua News Agency April 14, 2005)
