2012 Arctic Report Card—tracking recent environmental changes

Issued annually since 2006, the Arctic Report Card (hereafter the Report Card) is an independently reviewed and timely source for clear, reliable and concise environmental information on the current state of the Arctic relative to long-term records. The Report Card is intended for a wide audience, including scientists, teachers, students, decision-makers and the general public interested in the Arctic environment and science. The material presented in the Report Card is prepared by an international team of scientists, assisted by section coordinators and the editorial team. The 2011 Report Card is organized into five sections: Atmosphere; Sea Ice and Ocean; Marine Ecosystem; Terrestrial Ecosystem; and Hydrology and Cryosphere.

The 2012 Report Card will be published in early December 2012. It is anticipated that it will include further reports on continuing, significant change in the Arctic environmental system, including sea ice extent and melting on the Greenland ice sheet. Independent peer-review of the 2012 Report Card is organized by the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme of the Arctic Council. The web-based format facilitates future timely updates of the content and dissemination to a broad audience.The latest Report Card is always available at http://www.arctic.noaa.gov/reportcard/.

Support for the Arctic Report Card is provided by the NOAA Climate Program Office through the Arctic Research Program.