Earth’s Changing Climate: The Transformation of the Arctic

The Arctic Sea Ice is melting or slowly disappearing and it is said to be one of the reasons of global warming. What is happens is that the Arctic Ice it melts a little and gets smaller during the summer season and than during the winter season the ice gets bigger and expands over the Arctic Ocean, “a freeze-thaw cycle that in the Arctic has been dramatically altered by global warming (Global Warming Effects).” The Arctic Sea Ice in the past could grow up to 3 meters, which is around 10 feet, but now the average thick ness is becoming much less, and some scientist are afraid that in a few decades there might not be any sea ice during the summer (Global Warming Effects). Another major thing that has been discovered is that the amount of ice

The polar ice and climate change is not only affecting the arctic, but it is affecting the human race, too. The ice melting as we all know, but what we don’t know is what is the after affect of ice melting. While the ice is melting it thins out and that causes the ice to spread. The ice has gone through Russia and now to Canada in four- five years. This distance of ice spreading used to take six-seven years. This means the ice is now melting more pushing the other ice faster! What some people may not know is that as the ice moves it carries pollution, and when it is spring and summer all the ice melts and pollution goes into the ocean.

Humans have been interacting with the Arctic tundra for centuries now. They have used the land to explore and race, for example, the infamous race between Admunsen and Scott to the South pole. However, the human civilisation on the Arctic tundra have had their implications, both severe and light. Humans have slaughtered whales and seals since very early days, for food as well as commercial and self-profiting purposes. The most recent and paramount problem is global warming and pollution, which is harming the Arctic Tundra far more than the sealing and whaling ever did.

At the present rate of global warming most of the frozen portions of the Arctic may disappear by the end of this century.

The polar ice caps are melting at a pace few nations can afford to ignore, which is yielding potentially profitable sources of energy, minerals, and shipping. But debate is building over whether the Arctic can be developed peaceably. In the 21st century, many experts believe that climate change, technological advances, and ever increasing global demand for resources unlock the economic potential of the Polar North. The melting of Arctic sea ice to record lows in recent years has motivated many nations, mainly those with Arctic Ocean coastlines, such as the United States, Canada, Russia, Norway, and Greenland to reassess their engagements and interests in the icy polar reaches. Canada’s

Economic growth is vital to sustain human life; however, the unsustainable consumption of natural resources to attain this demand is leading to self-destruction. The Earth is facing environmental changes, including climate changes, which are altering the Earth system. Significantly higher thermal expansion is inescapable if the increasing pollution by carbon dioxide emission continues relentlessly. One evidence of this change is global warming and its impact in the Arctic Ice. The critical role of the Arctic in the global climate system implies that Arctic Ice changes will have far-reaching connotations for, and feedbacks to, the entire Earth. Currently, the warning signs include: rapid diminishing of sea ice, increased mass

The increasing global temperatures have caused many problems in Arctic ecosystems. The increasing warmth has caused ice caps to melt, and permafrost to thaw, causing shifts in the ecosystems around them. 1According to Harris (2005) “Permafrost is soil, rock or sediment that is frozen for more than two consecutive years. In areas not overlain by ice, it exists beneath a layer of soil, rock or sediment, which freezes and thaws annually and is called the "active layer".” (p. 17). While the melting of ice may not seem like a big issue at first glance, its effects are truly catastrophic. Many professionals in this field, such as Houghton (2009) have said 2“Warming is expected to be strongest in the Arctic, with the continuing retreat of

"Climate change is a change in the statistical properties of the climate system that persists for several decades or longer" (Montgomery, 2015). Climate change (or global warming) can be caused by a natural progress such as sun 's radiations and volcanoes, or it can be caused by human 's actions such as land use, deforestation, and pollution. (Hardy, 2003).This phenomenon not only affects the environment, but it also affects human lives. Alaska is the largest state in the United States. It includes lands on both sides of the Arctic Circle. Sixteen national wildlife refuges are home to a great variety of flora and fauna. In the past 60 years. The Alaska 's environment changed drastically; the climate is warming up as twice as much in comparison to all the other states. This essay will discuss firstly the climate change in the Alaskan environment. Then it will highlight the changes in the ocean and costs, the effects that global warming is having on Alaska 's natives and the melting permafrost. It will then finally address who is responsible for this effects and some measures that can be taken.

Sea Ice is frozen sea water floating on the surface of the ocean. This figure shows the Arctic Sea Ice extent which has decreases significantly throughout the year. The graph shows in 1979-2000 the lowest the sea ice extent reached was 7 million square kilometres. In 2007 the lowest the sea ice extent reached was 4 million square kilometres in September. This would have a major impact on the polar bears hunting. The Arctic sea ice has decreased 14% since 1970s. n 2012, the Arctic sea ice extent hit the lowest ever recorded. By 2040, summer sea ice would be limited to the northern coast of Greenland and Canada. This is the Last Ice Area. This decrease in Sea Ice throughout the year has impacted on the lives of polar bears in this region. The polar bear species are rapidly reducing due to the melting of their habitats. The Sea Ice is thawing which is resulting in an increase in drownings because polar bears have to travel further distances to hunt for prey but get too tired before they reach another ice sheet. Polar bears rely on sea ice to rest and breed. A study published in Ecological Applications analysed data on polar bears in northwest Alaska and Northwest Territories which shows there was a 40% decrease in population between 2001and 2010 from 1500 to 900 polar

The glaciers are gone. Many animals are dead. Only a few humans survive. The temperature is always warm or hot. Food is extremely limited. Most plants have died. The sea level has risen. Hurricanes and storms plague what is left of the earth. This is the future that humans have in store for themselves and their posterity if they do not halt the effects of global warming and climate change now. Global warming is the result of humans’ use and release of various heat-trapping gases for energy and power in many aspects of life. These gases, also known as greenhouse gases, are rising to the atmosphere and are effectively raising the temperature of the planet because they trap in the heat. This is known as the greenhouse effect, where light is let in but heat is trapped, similar to an actual greenhouse. As these heat-trapping gases increase in the atmosphere, more heat is trapped therefore increasing the temperature and causing other detriments to our planet. The world problem of the increase in global temperature due to trapped greenhouse gases affects humans tremendously, mostly through the use and unavailability of crops and livestock, harmful effects on coastal cities, and the health risks to humans, which can be ameliorated by a change in human production and living by using renewable resources and energy to decrease CO₂ emissions.

“An acceleration of these climatic trends is projected to occur during this century, due to ongoing increases in concentrations of green houses gases in global atmosphere. While green house gas emissions do not primarily originate in the arctic, they are projected to bring wide-range changes and impacts to arctic. These arctic changes will, in turn, impact the planet as a whole. For this reason, people outside the arctic have a great stake in what is happening there. For example, climatic processes unique to the arctic have significant effects on global and regional climate. The arctic also provides important natural resources to the rest of the world (such as oil, gas, and fish) that will be affected by climate change. And melting of arctic

The Arctic region is receiving increased global attention due to the fact that sea ice is shrinking thus opening up the possibilities for the expansion of sea travel (both shipping and tourism), increased energy resources availability (gas and oil), and larger commercial fishing areas (expansion into High Arctic Ocean). The North-West Passage (NWP) and the Northern Sea Route (NSR) are currently the two main shipping routes in the Arctic Region. The Arctic region has great prospects for oil and gas resources as well. In light of the fact that currently all fishing “takes place exclusively in territorial waters and in the EEZs of the five Arctic coastal states”, it’s not likely that the fishing areas will change in spite of the shrinking ice. This assumption is based on the depth and temperature of the High Arctic Ocean.

Did you know that because of global warming, “vast riches” may be within reach now in the Arctic? The nations are racing to get as many valuables they can. This may lead to war. The Arctic’s opportunity has been giving resources, a war has already begun, and it is affecting the indigenous people.

The current physical and political state of the territory could foster the growth of various industries. The multinational, American-based Royal Dutch Shell Oil Company has already begun drilling in both the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas (Jacobs 2014, 527). In addition, the melted ice has caused increased interest in the commercial shipping, commercial fishing and tourism industries. All of these entities and more are vying for the capital that would come with exploiting the natural resources of the Arctic Circle but the current lack of regulation is having difficulty accommodating everyone.

The Arctic is global warming’s canary in the coal mine. It is a highly sensitive area which is profoundly affected by the changing climate. The average temperature in the Arctic is rising twice as fast as elsewhere in the world (nrdc.org). Because of this, the ice cap is getting thinner, melting away, and rupturing. Here is an example of this; the largest ice block in the Arctic, the Ward Hunt Ice Shelf, had been around for 3000 years before it started cracking in 2000 (nrdc.org) By 2002, the Ward Hunt has cracked completely through and had started breaking into smaller pieces. The melting ice caps are affecting the earth and its inhabitants in many ways. In this paper, the following concepts and subjects will be