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Environmental changes in the Arctic: an Italian perspective

  • Environmental Changes in Arctic
  • Published:
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Abstract

Global warming affects the Arctic two/four times faster than any other region of the planet. The components of the climate system strongly react to changes with an immediate impact on the environment and on the whole living system. As a consequence of the increasing concern, in the last two decades the research in the Arctic has rapidly grown, with the aim to better understand processes and amplification mechanisms as well as to assess consequences at mid-latitudes and on the rest of the planet. Italian scientists have provided a relevant contribution to the Arctic science with a wide range of research activities conducted so far, not only at Ny-Ålesund (Svalbard Islands), where the Italian National Research Council (CNR) manages the “Dirigibile Italia Arctic Station”, but also at Thule (Greenland) and on the surrounding seas, and in the Arctic Ocean. The strategic objectives of the wide range of activities developed since 2008 aim to reinforce the flagship sites (super-sites) as key components of an integrated pan-Arctic observing network, where it is possible to study the complex dimensions of the Arctic regional climate system and to fully develop multidisciplinary research activities in a framework of international cooperation. This special issue presents a collection of reports on recent scientific achievements and provides the state-of-the-art and future perspectives of Italian research in the Arctic.

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Acknowledgments

Most of the contributions to this special issue are the result of the multi- and inter-disciplinary research activities based at the Dirigibile Italia Arctic Station, coordinated by the Dipartimento Scienze del Sistema Terra e Tecnologie per l’Ambiente (DTA) of the Italian National Research Council (Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, CNR). Funding provided by national PRIN and MAE projects are gratefully acknowledged. The authors wish to thank the Presidents and all the personnel and staff of CNR that operated under the Arctic Program both in Rome and at the Dirigibile Italia Arctic Station. Prof. Francesco P. Sassi, the former Editor-in-Chief of Rendiconti Lincei, passed away in April 2016. We would like to remember his valuable help and guidance during the initial stage of the preparation of this Special Issue.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Chimica, Biologia e Biotecnologie, Università di Perugia, 06123, Perugia, Italy

    David Cappelletti

  2. Dipartimento Scienze del Sistema Terra e Tecnologie per l’Ambiente, CNR-DTA, 00185, Rome, Italy

    Roberto Azzolini & Enrico Brugnoli

  3. Istituto di Scienze Marine, CNR-ISMAR, 40129, Bologna, Italy

    Leonardo Langone

  4. Istituto per lo Studio degli Ecosistemi, CNR-ISE, 50019, Florence, Italy

    Stefano Ventura

  5. Istituto di Scienze dell’Atmosfera e del Clima, CNR-ISAC, 00133, Rome, Italy

    Angelo Viola

  6. Istituto di Scienze Marine, CNR-ISMAR, 19032, La Spezia, Italy

    Stefano Aliani

  7. Istituto di Scienze dell’Atmosfera e del Clima, CNR-ISAC, 40129, Bologna, Italy

    David Cappelletti & Vito Vitale

Authors
  1. David Cappelletti
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  2. Roberto Azzolini
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  3. Leonardo Langone
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  4. Stefano Ventura
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  5. Angelo Viola
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  6. Stefano Aliani
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  7. Vito Vitale
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  8. Enrico Brugnoli
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to David Cappelletti.

Additional information

This peer-reviewed article is a result of the multi and interdisciplinary research activities based at the “Dirigibile Italia Arctic Station”, coordinated by the “Dipartimento Scienze del Sistema Terra e Tecnologie per l'Ambiente” of the Italian National Research Council.

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Cappelletti, D., Azzolini, R., Langone, L. et al. Environmental changes in the Arctic: an Italian perspective. Rend. Fis. Acc. Lincei 27 (Suppl 1), 1–6 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12210-016-0555-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12210-016-0555-1

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