Global Warming Arctic

Over the last several years, researchers in the Arctic have begun closely monitoring the temperature and the alarming effect it seems to be having on the climate. According to researchers, the Arctic is having abnormally high air temperatures and sea surface temperatures, which are causing the melting of the ice leading to record breaking lows of ice. To the north, the Arctic is almost 100% ice and snow. The southern parts of the Arctic are where you can find more vegetation along with dense forests.

Forests control the amounts of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere therefore contributing to global warming. However we as a planet have a problem… deforestation.

Climate change is going to affect the arctic more dramatically than other parts of the world. A study has shown that the average temperature has risen over 2ºC from 1960-2011 ("Climate Change In the Arctic"). Just a couple weeks ago the arctic was 20ºC higher than usual. Rising temperatures are going to affect the sea ice and glaciers, vegetation and wildlife as well as infrastructure. Of course these things won't just disappear quietly, they will take many other things down with them.

Environmental change in the Arctic has been a subject of recent interest within the discourse of global warming, climate change, and indigenous rights; however, scholars have yet to examine the importance of 20th century racial, cultural, and environmental interactions within Northern Canada. Specifically, the Northern areas of Ontario, Quebec, and Manitoba provide interesting and important issues that are critical to current discussions of global warming, climate change, and water rights and quality because of their location to the Hudson Bay and the intertwined environmental experience. Unlike other areas of Northern Canada, areas in Northern Quebec, Manitoba, and Ontario are subject to multiple political systems (i.e. provincial, federal,

As important as it is, Arctic coastal sea ice plays a vital role in dynamics of the coastline, covers stretches of open water which serve as important biological habitats, and serves as a platform for a broad range of activities by residents and industries (Druckenmiller et al., 2009). Sea ice is also important because it is used as a platform for harvesting seals and whales in spring, transport of personnel and supplies to camps, and as a network of trails (Druckenmiller et al., 2009). Dangerous effects of climate change include “ice breakouts” which are when large chunks of ice that whalers are using as working areas break off of the main ice blocks and take whaling camps out to sea (Druckenmiller et al.,

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

What is Global Warming and how does it affect Alaska? Global Warming is a devastating event that hurts most countries, it’s mainly caused by factories burning fossil fuels and coal, when these materials are burned there gasses enter our atmosphere heating it up. This heat is then trapped inside our atmosphere causing earth’s temperature to rise dangerously fast. Facts show that from 2001-2010 earth’s temperature rose about 14% due to Global Warming. Thanks to modern technology such as scrubbers to clean the pollution factories produce, global warming has gone down but many countries such as Alaska are still heavily affected by it.

The first effect that global warming is having on Alaska regards coasts and oceans. In the northern summer, the sea ice is decreasing faster than previously recorded and it is foreseen to melt before mid-century (Chapin, F.S 2014). Solid ice is disappearing as there are no longer massive icebergs during fall and winter,

The change the Artic will have an impact on the earth. Temperatures in the Arctic are rising at twice the rate of the rest of the world on average, and melting glaciers and land-based ice sheets are contributing to rising sea levels. Rising ocean temperatures are affecting ocean ecosystems. In turn having an affect on the communities and economies that depend on them. The changing Arctic could lead to global changes in ocean-based food security that will place additional burdens on economies, societies, and institutions around the world.

Ocean currents also will change because of global warming. The melting of Arctic ice dilutes salt water moving north from the tropics in the Gulf Stream, making the water less dense, and thus less inclined to sink for the return journey. The warming Arctic Ocean reduces the temperature differentials that drive ocean currents. Changing ocean currents will have effects on everything from the Indian monsoons to the pattern of El Niño to the surprisingly moderate climate now enjoyed in northern

As Earth’s surface temperature rises, the ocean also becomes hotter which results in an increase in sea level and decrease in Earth’s ice. “The oceans have absorbed much of this increased heat, with the top 700 meters of ocean showing warming of 0.302 degrees Fahrenheit since 1969” (“Climate Change: How Do We Know?”). Since greenhouse gases are trapping energy from the sun, the oceans absorb more heat which ultimately increases surface temperature. Oceans are able to absorb large amounts of heat energy because water has a greater heat capacity than air. As oceans become warmer, the frozen water on Earth melts at an accelerated pace. The thickness of Arctic Sea ice has dramatically declined throughout the last several decades. “Arctic sea ice

The most well-known climate change must is the global warming due to the inclination of greenhouse gas in atmosphere, which is a common issue for all human beings and ling creatures. For examples, the melting of arctic glaciers, one of the most critical consequences of global warming, has caused severe damage to the species diversity of the living creatures of entire Arctic Circle. Polar bears and seals are two of most influenced living creatures in Arctic Circle since their habitats have been highly eliminated and invasive creatures have severely negative influences on their life. Now, although many countries have acted to rescue polar bears and seals, but scientists predicted that their situation would continuously worsen in the future.

Most of the world’s population has little knowledge on how important the Arctic truly is. The ice in the Arctic is melting at one of the fastest rates in human history. During the summer season a certain amount of ice is estimated to melt, this wouldn’t have been a problem a few decades ago, the winter storms and cold would replenish the ice lost over the summer, keeping the total amount of ice in the arctic relatively stable. But now, the total amount of ice in the Arctic decreases all year long. The Arctic regulates the Earth’s temperature, acting like an air conditioner. The acceleration of the Arctic melting has played a role in the extreme weather events over the past few years, such as; unpredicted heat waves and droughts in the U.S.

The Greenland Ice Sheet usually melts as much as it usually does in June, in April (Grenoble)! The rising temperatures of the land also contribute to the melting of permafrost. This is a major issue because this permafrost contains about twice as much carbon as the atmosphere, as the permafrost melts, this carbon is released into the atmosphere as a greenhouse gas (Grenoble). The Arctic Ocean is being effected by this as well. It is becoming more vulnerable to ocean acidification because of the cold waters absorbing the Co2 from the atmosphere. The Co2 also leads to algae and plankton that destroys shell animals. This disrupts the ecosystems' delicate food chain (Grenoble). The warmer temperatures also effect animals of the ecosystem. Polar bears are struggling to survive because they have no place to go, and have to swim for sometimes 12 days at a time (Pappas). The penguins have adapted more to the changing temperature. Penguins are adapting better because they don’t depend as much on sea ice for breading as other species do (Pappas). The Arctic ecosystem is also effecting other regions such as North America, Europe, and Asia (Thompson). There are many strong winds and those winds are contributing to breaking up the ice and melting it

The melting ice caps are having a dramatic affect on the polar regions of the earth. For example, the average temperature in the Arctic is rising twice as fast than the rest of the world (nrdc.org). The once prominent ice is now melting at a dramatic speed, which is affecting native people, wildlife, and plants. When the Ward Hunt Ice Shelf splintered, the freshwater lake that it surrounded drained into the ocean, along with the ecosystem that inhabited it. Polar bears, whales, walrus and seals are changing their feeding and migration patterns, making it harder for native people to hunt them (nrdc.org). Because of the flooding, entire villages will be uprooted order to avoid being swamped. Also, the Arctic coastlines are beginning to move as well. The melting ice caps are threatening the native peoples’ cultural identity and their very survival. Ice-dependant animals, such as walruses and ring seals will be greatly affected by the melting ice caps (treehugger.com). They have fewer places to rest on, as well as fewer places to hunt. If the ice caps keep melting, their lives will become in great danger. The melting ice caps are not only affecting the Polar Regions, but they are also affecting the rest of the world as well in the form of rising ocean levels.