Arctic - Case Study_1

Arctic - Case Study

1. The Arctic is the area around the North Pole. It includes northern parts of Asia, North America and Europe.

2. 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.

3. 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.
   • Permafrost is a natural CO2 sink and the melting of these can release more CO2 into the atmosphere.

4. 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.

5. 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.