The Arctic Amplification and Its Impact: A Synthesis through Satellite Observations

Type Article
Date 2023-03
Language English
Author(s) Esau IgorORCID1, 2, Pettersson Lasse H.ORCID1, Cancet Mathilde3, Chapron BertrandORCID4, Chernokulsky AlexanderORCID5, Donlon Craig6, Sizov OlegORCID7, Soromotin AndreiORCID8, Johannesen Johnny A.1
Affiliation(s) 1 : Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Center, Jahnebakken 3, 5007 Bergen, Norway
2 : Department of Physics and Technology, UiT—The Arctic University of Norway, 9037 Tromsø, Norway
3 : NOVELTIS, 31670 Labège, France
4 : Ifremer, 1625 Rte de Sainte-Anne, 29280 Plouzané, France
5 : A.M. Obukhov Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Russian Academy of Science, 3 Pyzhevsky, 119017 Moscow, Russia
6 : Earth Surfaces and Interior Section (EOP-SME), Earth and Mission Science Division, European Space Agency/ESTEC, Keplerlaan 1, 2201 AZ Noordwijk, The Netherlands
7 : Oil and Gas Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (OGRI RAS), 3 Gubkina Street, 119333 Moscow, Russia
8 : Institute of Ecology and Natural Resources Management, Tyumen State University, Volodarskogo, 6, 625003 Tyumen, Russia
Source Remote Sensing (2072-4292) (MDPI AG), 2023-03 , Vol. 15 , N. 5 , P. 1354 (28p.)
DOI 10.3390/rs15051354
WOS© Times Cited 7
Note This article belongs to the Special Issue Earth Observations for Sustainable Development Goals
Keyword(s) European Space Agency, Climate Change Initiative, Arctic amplification, satellite observations, climate change monitoring
Abstract

Arctic climate change has already resulted in amplified and accelerated regional warming, or the Arctic amplification. Satellite observations have captured this climate phenomenon in its development and in sufficient spatial details. As such, these observations have been—and still are—indispensable for monitoring of the amplification in this remote and inhospitable region, which is sparsely covered with ground observations. This study synthesizes the key contributions of satellite observations into an understanding and characterization of the amplification. The study reveals that the satellites were able to capture a number of important environmental transitions in the region that both precede and follow the emergence of the apparent amplification. Among those transitions, we find a rapid decline in the multiyear sea ice and subsequent changes in the surface radiation balance. Satellites have witnessed the impact of the amplification on phytoplankton and vegetation productivity as well as on human activity and infrastructure. Satellite missions of the European Space Agency (ESA) are increasingly contributing to amplification monitoring and assessment. The ESA Climate Change Initiative has become an essential provider of long-term climatic-quality remote-sensing data products for essential climate variables. Still, such synthesis has found that additional efforts are needed to improve cross-sensor calibrations and retrieval algorithms and to reduce uncertainties. As the amplification is set to continue into the 21st century, a new generation of satellite instruments with improved revisiting time and spectral and spatial resolutions are in high demand in both research and stakeholders’ communities.

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Esau Igor, Pettersson Lasse H., Cancet Mathilde, Chapron Bertrand, Chernokulsky Alexander, Donlon Craig, Sizov Oleg, Soromotin Andrei, Johannesen Johnny A. (2023). The Arctic Amplification and Its Impact: A Synthesis through Satellite Observations. Remote Sensing, 15(5), 1354 (28p.). Publisher's official version : https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15051354 , Open Access version : https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00823/93476/