The BACC II Author Team Second Assessment of Climate Change for the Baltic Sea Basin.

This book is an update of the first BACC assessment, published in 2008 and offers new and updated scientific findings in regional climate research for the Baltic Sea basin. These include observed climate changes, climate projections up until 2100 and an assessment of climate-change impacts on terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems. Sea-level rise, coastal erosion and impacts on urban areas were analyzed. Possible causes of regional climate change along with the global effects of increased greenhouse gas concentrations, namely atmospheric aerosols and land-cover change, were discussed.

The evidence collected and presented in this book shows that the regional climate has already started to change and this is expected to continue. Projections of potential future climates show that the region will probably become considerably warmer and wetter in some parts, but dryer in others. Terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems have already shown adjustments to increased temperatures and are expected to undergo further changes in the near future.