Although some skeptics points to Arctic places such as the high latitudes of Greenland, where temperatures seem to have fallen, a recent scientific report concludes that in recent decades average temperatures have increased faster in the Arctic than elsewhere. Scientists have long suspected that several factors lead to greater temperature swings at Earths polar regions than elsewhere. First, most of the Arctic is covered in snow and ice, which are highly reflective; if snow and ice melt, the exposed soil, which absorbs heat, serves to accelerate warming. Second, the polar atmosphere is thin, so little energy is required to warm it. Third, less solar energy is lost in evaporation at the frigid poles than in the tropics.