An insider account of how researchers unraveled the mystery of the
thawing Arctic
In the 1990s, researchers in the Arctic noticed that floating summer sea
ice had begun receding. This was accompanied by shifts in ocean
circulation and unexpected changes in weather patterns throughout the
world. The Arctic's perennially frozen ground, known as permafrost, was
warming, and treeless tundra was being overtaken by shrubs. What was
going on? Brave New Arctic is Mark Serreze's riveting firsthand
account of how scientists from around the globe came together to find
answers.
In a sweeping tale of discovery spanning three decades, Serreze
describes how puzzlement turned to concern and astonishment as
researchers came to understand that the Arctic of old was quickly
disappearing - with potentially devastating implications for the entire
planet. Serreze is a world-renowned Arctic geographer and climatologist
who has conducted fieldwork on ice caps, glaciers, sea ice, and tundra
in the Canadian and Alaskan Arctic. In this must-listen book, he blends
invaluable insights from his own career with those of other pioneering
scientists who, together, ushered in an exciting new age of Arctic
exploration. Along the way, he accessibly describes the cutting-edge
science that led to the alarming conclusion that the Arctic is rapidly
thawing due to climate change, that humans are to blame, and that the
global consequences are immense.
A gripping scientific adventure story, Brave New Arctic shows how the
Arctic's extraordinary transformation serves as a harbinger of things to
come if we fail to meet the challenge posed by a warming Earth.
