Rapid change of the Arctic climate system and its global influences - Overview of GRENE Arctic climate change research project (2011-2016)

Under global warming due to anthropogenic increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration, the surface air temperature in the Arctic is increasing with a speed that is more than double the global average, called Arctic amplification (AA). To grasp these changes in the Arctic, to understand the mechanism, to know the global influences, and to contribute to future climate projection, we conducted the Green Network of Excellence Program (GRENE) Arctic Climate Change Research Project Rapid Change of the Arctic Climate System and its Global Influences for five years between 2011 and 2016 (hereafter GRENE Arctic). To tackle four strategic targets presented, members from seven research themes, modeling, terrestrial ecosystem, atmosphere, cryosphere, greenhouse gases, marine ecosystem, and sea ice groups, worked together and reached to the outcomes. Here, the significant outcomes of the GRENE Arctic, presented in more than 100 research articles were compiled, reviewed, and synthesized. Among them, the notable key findings were highlighted in the final chapter. The GRENE Arctic was epoch-making as the first all-Japan comprehensive project incorporating multidisciplinary studies and collaboration between observation and modeling. The original synthetic report has been open at the GRENE home page (http://www.nipr.ac.jp/grene/).