But if we remove that sea ice, we uncover a very dark ocean surface, and that's good at absorbing heat. And that's what's helping to reflect the additional energy back to space and reduce melt. MOON: If we look at the planet from space, we can imagine looking down on sea ice, and it's very bright. So what happens when there is less of that sea ice in the Arctic? To start with, sea ice reflects sunlight. SHAPIRO: A melting Arctic leads to a series of dominoes falling, so let's talk about some of the different knock-on effects. And as a result, we're seeing rapid and really dramatic changes. The Arctic is actually warming faster than most of the globe. MOON: Unfortunately, that's another good indicator of patterns that we're seeing across the Arctic. SHAPIRO: What does that record high in Siberia tell you? Climate scientist Twila Moon is one of the report's authors, and she joins us now. This comes on the same day the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released its annual Arctic Report Card. Today, the U.N.'s World Meteorological Organization officially verified that a town in Siberia called Verkhoyansk hit 100 degrees Fahrenheit last year. In the Arctic, it was literally unheard of until now. A 100-degree day is extreme almost anywhere in the world.
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