The Impact of a Warming Arctic

This lecture discusses the rapid changes in the Arctic region over the past decade, including unprecedented sea ice loss, melting of the Greenland ice sheet, and the implications for global climate systems. Professor Timothy Lenton highlights the potential tipping points in the Arctic climate system, such as the Greenland ice sheet melting and the resulting sea level rise. The lecture also explores the disruption of the Atlantic overturning circulation due to Arctic warming, leading to global effects like pronounced seasonality in Western Europe and shifts in monsoons around the tropics. Additionally, the influence of external factors, such as greenhouse gas emissions and soot particles from lower latitudes, on Arctic warming is examined, along with the potential future habitability of Earth as the Arctic continues to warm.