Table of Contents
Is Arctic dying?
While years of analysis of the data lay ahead, Rex said researchers are already alarmed by the evidence they’ve gathered. “The ice is dying,” Rex said. “If we keep going as we are then the Arctic will be ice-free in summer within a few decades and the world I just described will no longer exist.”
How is climate change affecting the Arctic?
The Arctic is warming more than twice as fast as the global average, process known as Arctic amplification (AA). The primary cause of this phenomenon is ice–albedo feedback where, by melting, ice uncovers darker land or ocean beneath, which then absorbs more sunlight, causing more heating.
What’s really in the Arctic?
Land within the Arctic region has seasonally varying snow and ice cover, with predominantly treeless permafrost (permanently frozen underground ice) containing tundra. Arctic seas contain seasonal sea ice in many places. The Arctic region is a unique area among Earth’s ecosystems.
Why is the Arctic important?
The Arctic is crucial for lots of reasons. Not just because it’s home to the iconic polar bear, and four million people, but also because it helps keep our world’s climate in balance. The Arctic also helps circulate the world’s ocean currents, moving cold and warm water around the globe.
How can we stop global warming in the Arctic?
Fast mitigation at scale can still slow future Arctic warming, starting with immediate cuts to the short-lived climate pollutants—black carbon, methane, tropospheric ozone, and hydrofluorocarbons. Cutting emissions of these short-lived pollutants immediately can reduce the rate of Arctic warming by up to two-thirds.
Which country owns Arctic?
It is the line north of which there is at least one day each year of total darkness and one of total light. Eight countries have territory within it: America (through Alaska), Canada, Denmark (by virtue of Greenland), Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia and Sweden.
Do penguins live in the Arctic or Antarctic?
Penguins are only found in the Southern Hemisphere. The greatest concentrations are on Antarctic coasts and sub-Antarctic islands. There are 18 species of penguins, 5 of which live in Antarctica. Another 4 species live on sub-Antarctic islands.
Is it Artic or Arctic?
The spelling “artic” arises because it’s the phonetic spelling of the way most people would prefer to pronounce “arctic.” The reality is that the word “arctic” has two sounds, or phonemes, in the middle of the word that make it tricky to say.