Provides the shortest sea route between Europe and Asia

• About 4 million

• Spread across seven countries, with Russia accounting for about half

• 15 per cent of the population is indigenous

Canada, Denmark (via Greenland), Norway, Russia, US, Finland, Iceland and Sweden all have sovereign rights and are considered Arctic nations.

The US government estimates that 20 per cent of the world’s undiscovered oil and gas lies in the polar region.

About twice as fast

topped all previous records since 1900

7 times more prevalent

second-warmest year on record

As receding sea ice forces more polar bears – a marine mammal – on shore, more human-bear conflicts will ensue.

Regrows quite quickly in winter but lacks permanence

Thicker and helps stabilise the sea-ice system

• In the past, sea ice in the Beaufort Gyre could remain in the Arctic for many years, thickening over time.

• Since the late 1990s, longevity of ice in this gyre has changed due to warming along the Alaskan and Siberian coasts.

*Figures derived from computer modelling analysis based on measurements of ice thickness made by sources such as submarines and satellites.

What happens in the Arctic does not stay in the Arctic. A warming Arctic will bring on a host of issues, impacting not only the global environmental system, but also profound commercial and geopolitical implications.

• Permafrost – frozen soil or rock that stays below 0 deg C for at least two years – slowly thaws, prompting soil microbes in it to turn the once-locked

carbon into carbon dioxide and methane.

• These potent greenhouse gases then enter the atmosphere, exacerbating climate warming.

Ice-rich permafrost soil can be up to 80m thick

Devoid of sea-ice protection from big waves, towns and villages face the prospect of relocating from the eroding and submerged coast.

It may be affecting both ocean currents and influencing weather patterns in other parts of the world – such as increased severe snowstorms in the US and extreme cold winters in Siberia.

• Hundreds of small lakes and ponds – some centuries old – have evaporated or drained into the thawing permafrost in the past few decades.

• Vegetation that takes their place may release harmful methane.

• Migratory birds and threatened species such as the spectacled eider, an Arctic sea duck, will lose their habitat, while native animals will have fewer water sources.

• A warmer Arctic will see wildlife such as coyotes, grizzly bears and orcas (below) venture northward.

• Some of these animals may bring with them novel pathogens. Native species such as polar bears, muskoxen, narwhal and beluga whales may be inflicted with rare diseases or face food competition.

• Easier access to the Arctic Ocean for oil and gas exploitation and tourism. All this could cause irreversible harm to pristine habitats and disturbance to wildlife.

• China launched its first domestically built icebreaker last September, with an expedition planned for the first half of this year.

• As military and commercial vessels converge on the Arctic Ocean, the risk of conflict between countries rises.

A US aircraft carrier entered the Arctic Circle last October – a first in nearly 30 years.

Populations of migratory caribou and wild reindeer – the Arctic’s iconic wildlife species – plunged 56 per cent (from 4.7 million to 2.1 million) over the past two decades, according to the 2018 Arctic Report Card.

SOURCES AND PHOTOS: ARCTIC REPORT CARD 2018, NATIONAL SNOW AND ICE DATA CENTRE, NATURE.COM, SMITHSONIAN, SCIENCENORDIC.COM, ARCTIC BASECAMP, SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM, NOAA, UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, ISTOCK

STRAITS TIMES GRAPHICS: LIM YONG

Provides the shortest sea route between Europe and Asia

• About 4 million

• Spread across seven countries, with Russia accounting for about half

• 15 per cent of the population is indigenous

Canada, Denmark (via Greenland), Norway, Russia, US, Finland, Iceland and Sweden all have sovereign rights and are considered Arctic nations.

The US government estimates that 20 per cent of the world’s undiscovered oil and gas lies in the polar region.

About twice as fast

7 times more prevalent

Rate of warming in the Arctic compared with the global average

Harmful algal blooms that occur off the Alaskan coast compared with 40 years ago

Air temperatures from 2014 to 2018 have

topped all previous records since 1900

Highest concentration of microplastics* among the world’s ocean basins

*Plastic particles less than 5mm across

The Arctic saw its

second-warmest year on record

between October 2017 and September 2018

Projection of a virtually ice-free Arctic Ocean in summer

Arctic summer sea ice in the past 40 years

Thickness of Arctic sea ice since 1970s

Extent of oldest ice (>4 years old) between March 1985 and March 2018

Regrows quite quickly in winter but lacks permanence

Thicker and helps stabilise the sea-ice system

• In the past, sea ice in the Beaufort Gyre could remain in the Arctic for many years, thickening over time.

• Since the late 1990s, longevity of ice in this gyre has changed due to warming along the Alaskan and Siberian coasts.

*Figures derived from computer modelling analysis based on measurements of ice thickness made by sources such as submarines and satellites.

What happens in the Arctic does not stay in the Arctic. A warming Arctic will bring on a host of issues, impacting not only the global environmental system, but also profound commercial and geopolitical implications.

• Permafrost – frozen soil or rock that stays below 0 deg C for at least two years – slowly thaws, prompting soil microbes in it to turn the once-locked

carbon into carbon dioxide and methane.

• These potent greenhouse gases then enter the atmosphere, exacerbating climate warming.

Ice-rich permafrost soil can be up to 80m thick

• Type and size of plants growing in the region are affected and some may even go extinct.

• Plant community height could increase by

20 per cent to 60 per cent by the end of the century. Taller plants could speed up the thawing of the permafrost lying below.

Devoid of sea-ice protection from big waves, towns and villages face the prospect of relocating from the eroding and submerged coast.

It may be affecting both ocean currents and influencing weather patterns in other parts of the world – such as increased severe snowstorms in the US and extreme cold winters in Siberia.

• Hundreds of small lakes and ponds – some centuries old – have evaporated or drained into the thawing permafrost in the past few decades.

• Vegetation that takes their place may release harmful methane.

• Migratory birds and threatened species such as the spectacled eider, an Arctic sea duck, will lose their habitat, while native animals will have fewer water sources.

• A warmer Arctic will see wildlife such as coyotes, grizzly bears and orcas (below) venture northward.

• Some of these animals may bring with them novel pathogens. Native species such as polar bears, muskoxen, narwhal and beluga whales may be inflicted with rare diseases or face food competition.

• Easier access to the Arctic Ocean for oil and gas exploitation and tourism. All this could cause irreversible harm to pristine habitats and disturbance to wildlife.

• China launched its first domestically built icebreaker last September, with an expedition planned for the first half of this year.

• As military and commercial vessels converge on the Arctic Ocean, the risk of conflict between countries rises.

A US aircraft carrier entered the Arctic Circle last October – a first in nearly 30 years.

Populations of migratory caribou and wild reindeer – the Arctic’s iconic wildlife species – plunged 56 per cent (from 4.7 million to 2.1 million) over the past two decades, according to the 2018 Arctic Report Card.

SOURCES AND PHOTOS: ARCTIC REPORT CARD 2018, NATIONAL SNOW AND ICE DATA CENTRE, NATURE.COM, SMITHSONIAN, SCIENCENORDIC.COM, ARCTIC BASECAMP, SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM, NOAA, UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, ISTOCK

STRAITS TIMES GRAPHICS: LIM YONG

Provides the shortest sea route between Europe and Asia

• About 4 million

• Spread across seven countries, with Russia accounting for about half

• 15 per cent of the population is indigenous

Canada, Denmark (via Greenland), Norway, Russia, US, Finland, Iceland and Sweden all have sovereign rights and are considered Arctic nations.

The US government estimates that 20 per cent of the world’s undiscovered oil and gas lies in the polar region.

About twice as fast

Rate of warming in the Arctic compared with the global average

Air temperatures from 2014 to 2018 have

topped all previous records since 1900

The Arctic saw its

second-warmest year on record

between October 2017 and September 2018

7 times more prevalent

Harmful algal blooms that occur off the Alaskan coast compared with 40 years ago

Highest concentration of microplastics* among the world’s ocean basins

Projection of a virtually ice-free Arctic Ocean in summer

Arctic summer sea ice in the past 40 years

Extent of oldest ice (>4 years old) between March 1985 and March 2018

Thickness of Arctic sea ice since 1970s

Regrows quite quickly in winter but lacks permanence

Thicker and helps stabilise the sea-ice system

• In the past, sea ice in the Beaufort Gyre could remain in the Arctic for many years, thickening over time.

• Since the late 1990s, longevity of ice in this gyre has changed due to warming along the Alaskan and Siberian coasts.

*Figures derived from computer modelling analysis based on measurements of ice thickness made by sources such as submarines and satellites.

What happens in the Arctic does not stay in the Arctic. A warming Arctic will bring on a host of issues, impacting not only the global environmental system, but also profound commercial and geopolitical implications.

Ice-rich permafrost soil can be up to 80m thick

• Permafrost – frozen soil or rock that stays below 0 deg C for at least two years – slowly thaws, prompting soil microbes in it to turn the once-locked

carbon into carbon dioxide and methane.

• These potent greenhouse gases then enter the atmosphere, exacerbating climate warming.

• Type and size of plants growing in the region are affected and some may even go extinct.

• Plant community height could increase by

20 per cent to 60 per cent by the end of the century. Taller plants could speed up the thawing of the permafrost lying below.

Devoid of sea-ice protection from big waves, towns and villages face the prospect of relocating from the eroding and submerged coast.

It may be affecting both ocean currents and influencing weather patterns in other parts of the world – such as increased severe snowstorms in the US and extreme cold winters in Siberia.

• Hundreds of small lakes and ponds – some centuries old – have evaporated or drained into the thawing permafrost in the past few decades.

• Vegetation that takes their place may release harmful methane.

• Migratory birds and threatened species such as the spectacled eider, an Arctic sea duck, will lose their habitat, while native animals will have fewer water sources.

• A warmer Arctic will see wildlife such as coyotes, grizzly bears and orcas (below) venture northward.

• Some of these animals may bring with them novel pathogens. Native species such as polar bears, muskoxen, narwhal and beluga whales may be inflicted with rare diseases or face food competition.

• Easier access to the Arctic Ocean for oil and gas exploitation and tourism. All this could cause irreversible harm to pristine habitats and disturbance to wildlife.

• China launched its first domestically built icebreaker last September, with an expedition planned for the first half of this year.

• As military and commercial vessels converge on the Arctic Ocean, the risk of conflict between countries rises.

A US aircraft carrier entered the Arctic Circle last October – a first in nearly 30 years.

Populations of migratory caribou and wild reindeer – the Arctic’s iconic wildlife species – plunged 56 per cent (from 4.7 million to 2.1 million) over the past two decades, according to the 2018 Arctic Report Card.

SOURCES AND PHOTOS: ARCTIC REPORT CARD 2018, NATIONAL SNOW AND ICE DATA CENTRE, NATURE.COM, SMITHSONIAN, SCIENCENORDIC.COM, ARCTIC BASECAMP, SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM, NOAA, UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, ISTOCK

STRAITS TIMES GRAPHICS: LIM YONG