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Arctic begins to resemble the south

A large scale study that looks at changing seasonality in the northern hemisphere has been completed. Researchers from 17 institutions from around the world discovered a significant change in latitudinal seasonality (reduced difference between winter and summer averages) over a 30-year period.

Temperatures and vegetation patterns are differentiating as a result, with 34% to 41% of the Arctic region having increased plant growth similar to areas further south. The team used newly improved ground and satellite data sets, first defining latitudinal profiles before quantifying changes over time.

Increased or decreased greenery may affect animal patterns in the Arctic and boreal areas, though the exact implications are unknown. Over the 30-year period it was shown that a shift of four to seven degrees in terms of latitude had changed growth patterns in the north, with a 20 degree sway expected by end of the century.

Read more at Boston University

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