Big Warming in Small Packages

Photo: NASA Earth ObservatoryA phytoplankton bloom in the Barents Sea in August 2010.

The Arctic has a runaway lead when it comes to global warming. The rapidly thawing region is heating up twice as fast as the rest of the world. And it’s just getting started. A new study says the warming gap could widen substantially—all thanks to microscopic phytoplankton.

As sea ice melts and more light penetrates the ocean surface, phytoplankton flourish. As these zillions of photosynthesizing microorganisms live it up, they have a collectively large impact on ecosystems, but one that isn’t typically factored into climate models—until now. A team of researchers has paired a traditional atmospheric model with a marine ecosystem model and found that more phytoplankton soaking up the sun traps more heat in the surface layer of the sea, creating a positive feedback loop with very negative consequences. The model found that phytoplankton blooms could amplify Arctic warming by a whopping 20 percent. 

onEarth provides reporting and analysis about environmental science, policy, and culture. All opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the policies or positions of NRDC. Learn more or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.