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Arctic - Case Study
- The Arctic is the area around the North Pole. It includes
northern parts of Asia, North America and Europe.
- How is global warming affecting the Arctic?
- The area of Arctic sea ice has been shrinking at an increasing rate -
some scientists think there won't be any sea ice left by summer 2030.
- Greenland ice sheet is melting.
- The permafrost is moving
north and the area covered
by permafrost is shrinking.
- The treeline is moving north and the area
where trees can't grow is shrinking.
- The melting of ice means that the
albedo feedback becomes negative.
- Albedo - the reflecting of the sun's
radiation off the Earth's surfaces.
- Less ice means more heat energy is
absorbed in the water as they're darker
than ice and don't reflect light.
- Less ice means more heat energy is
absorbed in the water as they're darker
than ice and don't reflect light.
- Albedo - the reflecting of the sun's
radiation off the Earth's surfaces.
- The area of Arctic sea ice has been shrinking at an increasing rate -
some scientists think there won't be any sea ice left by summer 2030.
- Environmental impacts
- Melting of ice sheets means more
water is being added to the oceans -
increasing sea level.
- This can disrupt currents such as the North Atlantic Drift.
- This can disrupt currents such as the North Atlantic Drift.
- Permafrost is a natural CO2 sink and the melting of
these can release more CO2 into the atmosphere.
- Melting of ice sheets means more
water is being added to the oceans -
increasing sea level.
- Ecological impacts
- The changes of climate will mean that
some habitats will be reduced or lost.
- Some areas have very sensitive ecosystems. There
are few species in the Arctic so a loss of one of
them can have a massive effect on them all.
- In the oceans, numbers of marine life could
increase as the area covered by permafrost
reduces and temperatures increase.
- Hunting season for polar bears
decrease as ice becomes too thin.
- This can have an effect on their cubs as they
won't be able to reproduce or feed them.
- This can have an effect on their cubs as they
won't be able to reproduce or feed them.
- The changes of climate will mean that
some habitats will be reduced or lost.
- Socio-economic impacts
- Shrinking sea ice could open up new
shipping routes in the summer.
- Some people think that there are oil
and gas reserves in the Arctic - conflict
could result over who owns them.
- Warmer soils and climate may increase the
opportunity for forestry and agriculture.
- Indigenous people lose their culture
and have a decline in food security.
- Ice used to protect Inuit villages but now
they're more open to storms and ocean
waves, causing the destruction of villages.
- Shrinking sea ice could open up new
shipping routes in the summer.
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