Arctic goes greener from 1985 reports Nature Research Highlights 22 September 2020 and NASA News 23 September 2020, and Nature Communications 22 September 2020 doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-18479-5.
A group of scientists at Northern Arizona University have studied changes in vegetation of the whole Arctic Tundra, from Alaska and Canada to Siberia, using satellite data from Landsat, a joint mission of NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) over a period from 1985 to 2016. They found an overall increase in greening of the tundra due to both higher soil temperatures and soil moisture. They confirmed their findings with plant growth measurements from field sites around the Arctic. A small proportion (4.7%) of the sites sampled were browner.
The researchers summarised their findings: “Greening occurred most often at warm sampling sites with increased summer air temperature, soil temperature, and soil moisture, while browning occurred most often at cold sampling sites that cooled and dried. Tundra greenness was positively correlated with graminoid (grass-like), shrub, and ecosystem productivity measured at field sites. Our results support the hypothesis that summer warming stimulated plant productivity across much, but not all, of the Arctic tundra biome during recent decades”. Logan Berner, at Northern Arizona University, who led the study commented: “This Arctic greening we see is really a bellwether of global climatic change – it’s a biome-scale response to rising air temperatures”.
The NASA article went on to comment: “While active plants will absorb more carbon from the atmosphere, the warming temperatures could also be thawing permafrost, thereby releasing greenhouse gasses”.
Link: NASA
Editorial Comment: This study supports previous Arctic tundra studies showing that increase in soil temperatures leads to an increase in biological activity in the soil, which releases more carbon dioxide. Warmth plus carbon dioxide definitely promotes more plant growth, which in turn provides increased food for animals. Only selfish planet-worshipping evolutionists claim this is a bad thing.
Note well – if the permafrost does truly melt, it certainly will release even more water and carbon dioxide into the soil, enabling yet even more soil microbes and plants to grow. Thus, a previously lifeless barren landscape will be transformed into a living productive landscape, which surely is a good thing.
Also note well: The worshippers of the ever evolving “greeny-god” may believe history has changed over millions of years, but isn’t it amazing they sure want the present to stay the same. Seems to be a real insecurity issue they have. Worshippers of the unchanging Real God know they are to exercise dominion over the planet and as they both tend it, and remember to pray to the Creator Christ for climate blessing.
Creation Research News 30 September 2020
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