July 2019 Hottest Month On Record For Alaska; Dieoffs, Meltdowns, Fin/Humpbacks In Arctic Ocean

The temperatures have soared as high as 90 degrees Fahrenheit, seals and other animals are inexplicably dying, and the once-dependable sea ice is long gone from the shores. Welcome to summer in Alaska in the Anthropocene. Alaska just recorded its warmest July—and warmest month—on record, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced Wednesday.

At a time when the Lower 48 states were clocking average temperatures 1°F above normal, Alaska's temperatures were 5.4°F above average and 0.8°F more than the previous warmest month, which was July 2004. With sea ice at a record low, the usual buffer that helps keep Alaska cool is gone, said Karin Gleason, a climate scientist with NOAA. "That exacerbates temperatures, because when you don't have sea ice near the coastlines, then the temperature of the continent can warm sooner and earlier than it typically would."

Arctic sea ice hit a record low in July after an early start to the melt season, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). The sea ice volume Arctic-wide was about 47 percent lower than the average from 1979-2018. In Alaska, the ice is now about 150 miles from shore—a phenomenon that has only occurred in recent years and never before September, according to Rick Thoman, a climate scientist with the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy.

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According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center, sea surface temperatures along the Alaska coast are at least 9°F above average. "This has implications for marine and land habitats, the food web, commerce and ultimately, communities across Alaska," said Gleason. Across Alaska, there have been reports this summer of a number of die-offs involving different species. Sea birds, gray whales, ice seals, mussels and krill have been reported dying in surprising numbers, raising questions among Alaska natives and scientists about whether climate change could be a driver.

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https://insideclimatenews.org/news/07082019/alaska-record-hottest-month-sea-ice-melt-climate-change-permafrost-species-die-off