– I am worried that my children will not get to experience Svalbard in the way that I have done. That’s what Tine Westby Thorstad, who works as a service manager at Visit Svalbard, says. Another heat record in Svalbard makes her worried about the future of the archipelago. June was the warmest June on record. Tine Westby Thorstad, who works as a service manager at Visit Svalbard. Photo: JANNICKE MIKKELSEN / news – It rains more, it blows more, the weather is more unpredictable. We already see that the glaciers are melting, she says. In July this year alone, the world has had a global heat record two days in a row. In the Arctic, things go faster than anywhere else. The warming is faster in Svalbard – The warming is much faster in Svalbard than elsewhere. That’s what senior researcher Inger Hanssen-Bauer at the Meteorological Institute says. The reason for that is about both sea ice and sea ice, she says. – When ice melts, there is a light surface that is replaced by a dark surface. Then more solar energy is absorbed. When sea ice melts, the air suddenly receives heat from the sea, says the researcher. Senior researcher Inger Hanssen-Bauer at the Meteorological Institute Photo: Kamilla Pedersen/MET She is concerned about the high temperatures that have been observed over time. – We have lost a bit of control here. It requires major measures to bring the temperature increase under control. Wetter, more precipitation and a shorter winter season The biggest consequences on Svalbard if temperature increases continue will be in the winter and spring. The researcher confirms the observations of local people about more rain. – It gets wetter. More precipitation in the form of rain than snow. Shorter snow season. Smaller glaciers. More water will flow over the terrain. Longyearbyen on Svalbard. Photo: Ida Louise Rostad The consequences are also great for the ecosystem, since the melting sea ice is important for seals and polar bears. – There are such big changes happening so quickly that it is difficult to see all the consequences, says the researcher. This is what people in Svalbard say about climate change: JANNICKE MIKKELSEN Per Henrik Tønseth: – I came up here on 10 June. It has been warmer than I had imagined. Everyone says it only gets hotter every year. Even if you think that it is nice to have hot days, it is harmful and dangerous in the long term. – It is not good if it continues as it is now. It can go beyond wildlife, nature and everything. It would be a real shame if the climate here becomes the same as on the mainland. JANNICKE MIKKELSEN Tine Westby Thorstad, service manager, Visit Svalbard: – It’s getting warmer and it rains and blows a lot more. The weather is unpredictable. We who live here see how big an impact it has had. We see the concrete changes and the melting glaciers. – When we at Visit Svalbard are to give advice to tourists, it is also about having good enough clothes to be out in the field and being prepared for the fact that the weather can change very quickly. JANNICKE MIKKELSEN / news Terje Gjeitnes: – Been here for five years. It has become a little more humid. Looks a bit like western country weather, weather that we don’t want, that we are used to from home. It is worrying that we will have a milder climate here, but also on the rest of the globe. – That the permafrost is deeper is worrying in terms of landslides and buildings. JANNICKE MIKKELSEN Signe Kolborg Mørk: – I have lived here for 23 years. I’m a little worried about the housing stock up here that is built on permafrost. What will happen? Will the ground erupt? – We have a cabin and notice very well that the permafrost is thawing, because it has to be constantly jacked up. It never had to before. We are not allowed to open or close doors or windows. The glaciers are getting smaller – Ice in the fjords is history, in a way. And the glaciers are getting smaller in both height and extent. That’s what meteorological consultant Torgeir Mørk, who lives on Svalbard, says. – We have a lot of inland glaciers here that are more or less disappearing. There is a lot to notice. Meteorological consultant Torgeir Mørk. Photo: Line Ylvisaker Mørk has worked at Svalbard Airport for 23 years, and has seen the development up close. He points to several consequences of the high temperatures. – Most of the houses stand on permafrost. When it thaws, there can be problems with buildings. – The permafrost releases methane and CO₂, which contribute to global warming. Now, it’s not such a big percentage globally up here, but on the whole, quite a lot is released. Some of the houses in Longyearbyen. Photo: Ida Louise Rostad / news High temperatures – There have been many long periods of fine weather, but high temperatures. Higher than normal, anyway. On average, the temperature in June was 6.1 degrees. It is 2.5 degrees higher than normal. – It’s a lot. Globally, it is probably 0.76 degrees above normal. The previous record was from 2022, and ended at 6.0 degrees. In recent years, several heat records have been measured on the archipelago in summer. Published 30.07.2024, at 05.47
ttn-69
Record heat in the world – Svalbard is changing the fastest – news Troms and Finnmark
