Important Facts For Prelims
Svalbard: Fastest Warming Town on the Earth
- 04 Sep 2019
- 1 min read
Svalbard located in Norway is facing extreme consequences of climate change.
- It is the result of rising sea level of Arctic sea due to Global Warming.
- Since 1970, average annual temperatures have risen by 4 degrees Celsius in Svalbard, with winter temperatures rising more than 7 degrees.
- The “Climate in Svalbard 2100” report also warns that the annual mean air temperature in Svalbard is projected to increase by 7 to 10 degrees Celsius by the end of this century.
- Since 1979, the Arctic sea ice extent has declined by nearly 12% per decade, with the most pronounced winter reduction in Svalbard and the Barents Sea area.
- Svalbard’s main town, Longyearbyen with a population of slightly more than 2,000 people, it is the northernmost town on the planet and also the fastest-warming town on the earth.
Note: Svalbard Global Seed Vault is the world’s largest seed storage facility situated at Norway.