Norwegian site that houses the Doomsday Vault preserving humanity’s food supply is warming faster than ANYWHERE else on Earth, alarming new study suggests
- Climate in Svalbard 2100 report was funded by Norwegian Environment Agency
- It found temperatures in Svalbard could rise up to 10 degrees Celsius by 2100
- This will cause permafrost thawing, landslides and avalanches, increased rainfall
A location selected for its stability more than a decade ago to house a back-up supply of humankind’s crop seeds is now among the fastest-warming places on Earth.
According to a new report about the state of the climate in Svalbard, the Norwegian archipelago that’s home to the so-called Doomsday Vault, accelerated warming in the region could raise temperatures by up to 10°C before the end of the century.
Unusually warm temperatures have already begun to pose challenges to the vault; back in 2017, the facility’s entrance tunnel suffered a flood as a result of thawing permafrost.
With medium to high emissions considered for the near future, both temperatures and precipitation will dramatically increase, threatening the stability of the frozen ground the vault is built upon.
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According to a new report about the state of the climate in Svalbard, the Norwegian archipelago that’s home to the so-called Doomsday Vault (pictured), accelerated warming in the region could raise temperatures by up to 10°C before the end of the century
The Climate in Svalbard 2100 report was commissioned by the Norwegian Environment Agency.
Svalbard and, specifically, the town of Longyearbyen, which sits adjacent to the site of the Doomsday Vault, have been experiencing warming at an unparalleled rate in recent years.
In addition to a 10-degree temperature rise estimated for the worst case scenario, the remote area could see a 45-65 percent increase in annual precipitation.
These changes will shorten the snow season, drive increasing erosion, and accelerate permafrost thaw.
The combination will also bring more landslides and avalanches, and melting glaciers will contribute to global sea level rise, the researchers warn.
The Arctic is already well known to be warming up faster than other areas of Earth.
But, the specific conditions at Svalbard have concentrated the effects, making them more extreme.
‘Svalbard and the surrounding ocean are considerably milder, wetter and cloudier than the average for the latitude,’ the researchers explain in the report.
‘This is mainly caused by atmospheric heat and moisture transport associated with the Icelandic low and the warm West Spitsbergen Current (WSC), which runs along the western coastline of Spitsbergen.
‘The West Spitsbergen Current is particularly important in the shaping of the island’s climatic conditions through its release of heat during wintertime and its influence on the concentration of sea ice.
The Climate in Svalbard 2100 report was commissioned by the Norwegian Environment Agency. Svalbard and, specifically, the town of Longyearbyen, which sits adjacent to the site of the Doomsday Vault, have been experiencing warming at an unparalleled rate in recent years
The Climate in Svalbard 2100 report was commissioned by the Norwegian Environment Agency. Svalbard and, specifically, the town of Longyearbyen, which sits adjacent to the site of the Doomsday Vault, have been experiencing warming at an unparalleled rate in recent years
‘As a consequence of the strong influence of atmospheric heat transport and the West Spitsbergen Current Spitsbergen, cold season temperature variability is very pronounced at Svalbard.’
While the predictions in the report represent a worst case scenario, even medium emissions will lead to a 7-degree temperature rise and significant precipitation changes.
The research highlights a need for emissions reductions in order to prevent potentially devastating consequences for Svalbard and its inhabitants, as well as the fate of humanity’s backup food supply.
