Commentary abrupt climate change in the arctic bookshelf

The loss of sea ice also has the potential to accelerate global warming trends and to change climate patterns. According to the most recent report from the intergovernmental panel on climate change, by the end of our own. May 08, 2018 a heat wave sent temperatures spiking 30 degrees above normal in part of the arctic, and sea ice is taking a nosedive. Biological response to climate change in the arctic ocean. Physicist, engineer, and parttime professor at the university of ottawa. This is the conclusion of two new reports from the thinktanks csis in washington and fni in oslo.

Ameg aims to position itself in the centre ground neither overstating nor understating the dangers of climate change. She had not thought much about climate change in the past, but seeing alaskas melting glaciers firsthand and hearing stories of forced migration propelled the crisis to the top of her mind. Climate models suggest that during periods of rapid seaice loss. All about arctic climatology and meteorology national snow. Climate change in the arctic national snow and ice data. Abrupt climate change is defined by the ipcc as a largescale change in the climate system that takes place over a few decades or less, persists or is anticipated to persist for at least a few decades, and causes substantial disruptions in human and natural systems. Ice sheet global climate model sea level larsen ice shelf. As an ice shelf thins, more ice lifts off the seafloor and begins to float.

A key component of the arctic climate clockworks is the beaufort gyrea bowl of cold, icy, relatively fresh waters north of alaska that is swept by prevailing winds into a circular swirl larger than the gulf of mexico. Frequently called upon for commentary by fellow educators, activists, and public. We need a better understanding of the regions role in the global system if we are to forecast the weather and climate change reliably essential when managing risks to european infrastructure and farming. Aug 11, 2016 the changing arctic will examine legal precedents, rival claimants, and possible resolutions for disputes among the arctic nations, as well as the economic implications of accessing the regions plentiful resources. When you are in wales, the fact that you can see so much of this incredibly important ecological area reminds me how vibrant and pristine it currently is, and how we are risking all of that with human activity right now, says elisabeth kruger, wwfs arctic and bering sea program officer. Pdf the changing climate of the arctic researchgate. The arctic and climate change environment research and. Books on the arctic, antarctic and greenland yale climate. A changing arctic climate science and policy in the arctic climate impact assessment annika e. The most recent prediction of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. Climate change in the arctic national snow and ice data center. Of particular interest in the arctic is sudden climate change, an amplified response due to abrupt forcing or nonlinear feedback mechanisms.

The arctic ocean is undergoing rapid climatic changes including higher. We define abrupt climate change as a largescale change in the. Pdf abrupt climate change in the arctic researchgate. It is important to note that arctic climate change both affects globalscale climate change and is affected by it through feedback mechanisms. Arctic climate change context our climate is already changing, particularly in the arctic where permafrost is melting, glaciers are receding, and sea ice is disappearing. The arctic region gives off more heat to space than it absorbs from outside, which helps cool the planet. The changing arctic center for international maritime security. Although the arctic may seem far removed from the rest of the globe, arctic climate and weather are closely linked with climate and weather elsewhere. Huge stores of arctic sea ice likely contributed to past climate cooling. Arctic permafrost thawing faster than ever, us climate study finds. The nasa jet propulsion laboratory provides a good summary of some of the. Meltwater flowing off the nansen ice shelf in antarctica. Some of the most alarming science surrounding climate change is the discovery that it.

Many scientific climate models also predict larger amounts of climate warming in the arctic than on the rest of the earth, which has raised concerns about shrinking ice packs and melting glaciers in places like alaska and. Seven facts you need to know about the arctic methane timebomb. The arcticnet network of centres of excellence and its national and international partners invite the international arctic research community to the international arctic change 2017 conference at the quebec city convention centre, quabec, canada from december 11 15, 2017. From declining arctic sea ice and recordbreaking heatwaves to melting.

The climate of the arctic is characterized by long, cold winters and short, cool summers. Climate change has disproportionally affected this region with rising ocean temperatures and continued loss of summer sea ice extent. Changes in the arctic will not only affect local people and ecosystems but also the rest of the world, because the arctic plays a special role in global climate. The essential goto website for near realtime plots on the arctic seaice can be easily found by googling arctic sea ice graphs. Feb 16, 2018 abrupt climate change would be cataclysmic. In a nature commentary in 1987, for example, prof wally broecker of. In the polar night, arctic sea ice historically rebounds from summer melt as both the water and air cool. There is a large amount of variability in climate across the arctic, but all regions experience extremes of solar radiation in both summer and winter.

Nov 03, 2016 the arctic ocean is an area of intense activity both for environmental and commercial interests. Indirect effects through potential climate teleconnections to mid latitudes may result in a greater frequency of extreme weather events, ecological, b. A new study found that freshwater runoff from rivers and. Abrupt arctic climate shifts trigger rapid ecosystem responses eos. With this in mind, lets look at the state of the arctic at this time. Geography, climate and species of earths arctic region. Arctic heat surges again, and studies are finding climate. Short commentary on marine productivity at arctic shelf breaks. Could abrupt climate change lead to human extinction within 10.

Most scientists agree that arctic weather and climate are changing because of humancaused climate change. Now in its 20th year, the arctic council is due for revitalization. Arctic warming is causing changes to sea ice, snow. From declining arctic sea ice and recordbreaking heatwaves to melting glaciers. Concurrent changes in sea ice cover and zooplankton communities. A new 400meterlong sediment core is revealing that all in the arctic has not always been as it seems, with times in the past far warmer and ice buildup beginning earlier than.

Arctic warming is causing changes to sea ice, snow cover, and the extent of permafrost in the arctic. It is an odd and nonstandard use of terminology to claim that the arctic is shrinking. Research also shows changes in arctic sea ice and temperature can alter the jet stream, which is a major factor in us weather. A new sediment core reveals much more about the regions role in a longterm transition from greenhouse to icehouse. May 31, 2006 the arctic is one of the sensitive pressure points for earths climate. In this edition of the long term ecological research network series, editors john hobbie and george kling and 58 coauthors synthesize the findings from the nsffunded arctic lter project based at toolik lake, alaska, a site that has been active since the mid1970s. The arctic plays an important role in regulating earths climate, with the. Summary of arctic ocean biological and climatic events during the cenozoic. If climate change in the arctic, while consistent with other usage on wikipedia, is too general for this article, perhaps other titles should be considered as you suggest. With global warming, both of the poles are warming quite quickly, and this. The arctic climate system cambridge atmospheric and space.

Two recent abrupt temperature hikes in west greenland triggered precipitous ongoing changes, including increased ice sheet melt, intense. Background and issues for congress summary the diminishment of arctic sea ice has led to increased human activities in the arctic, and has heightened interest in, and concerns about, the regions future. We are only alarmist in the sense that we are drawing attention to the more unpleasant realities of rapid arctic warming and climate change, which have been downplayed or ignored by ipcc, unwittingly backed up by the media. Over the past 30 years, it has warmed more than any other region on earth. It also tells us that some abrupt changes have already begun like the crash of arctic sea ice. The commentary speculates methane hydrates, icelike substances where the gas is stored in the east siberian arctic shelf among other places, could unleash a 50 gigatonne pulse of methane between 20152025 leading to an atmospheric concentration six times current levels as undersea permafrost thaws. If the ocean warms up, it can melt the underside of the shelf and cause it. However, a general consensus about how the organization should look at its next milestone is a long way off. They say melting greenland ice in a warmer arctic has driven a key component.

This figure depicts the central greenland surface temperature reconstruction produced by the six scientists. Personally, i really appreciate the effort and expertise of zach labe who generates numerous graphs and animations that clearly show the rapidly decreasing trends in arctic sea ice extent, thickness, and volume. As climate change worsens, a cascade of tipping points looms. The united states, by virtue of alaska, is an arctic country and has substantial interests in the region. Some of the clearest indicators of this change are shown below.

Nov 03, 2016 calculating your role in melting arctic sea ice. Scientists first started to see changes in the arctic climate in the 1970s and 1980s. Oil and mineral exploration and exploitation are occurring and intensifying. Supporting research and channelling knowledge to tackle environmental and climate change in the arctic. The effects of global warming in the arctic, or climate change in the arctic include rising air and water temperatures, loss of sea ice, and melting of the greenland ice sheet with a related cold temperature anomaly, observed since the 1970s. Shelf sediments, freshwater runoff from rivers brings more carbon, nutrients to north pole. In 2007, the intergovernmental panel on climate change estimated that arctic summers would become ice free beginning in 2070. Changes in the arctic climate are important because the arctic acts as a refrigerator for the rest of the world. The book presents research on the core issues of climate change science in the treeless arctic region of alaska. Why should we be concerned about an arctic that is free of ice in summer. Abrupt climate change in the arctic nature climate change. Jul 09, 2018 playwright chantal bilodeau first visited the arctic in 2007.

The increasingly rapid rate of recent climate change poses new challenges to the resilience of arctic life. Nine tipping points that could be triggered by climate. Aug 05, 2016 tales for a changing arctic by sara peach on aug 5, 2016 playwright is writing eight plays about the effects of climate change in the arctic. Climate change, arctic security, and methane risks the. More open water conditions during summer would have potentially large and irreversible effects. Therefore, the most immediate risk of further abrupt climate change hinges on how well the arctic withstands global warming. Global warming is melting antarctic ice from below john abraham. Warming of the arctic region is proceeding at three times the global average, and a new arctic rapid change climate pattern has been observed in the past decade.

Ongoing climate change in the arctic at an unprecedented rate has resulted in warming three times faster than the global average hoeghguldberg and bruno 2010. Chantal bilodeau brings climate change to the theater. In the arctic, almost all the ice is floating on water there is very little land. Over the past year, the climate risks of methane ch4 released from natural sources have attracted increasing media attention in scientific and media forums as the arctic climate threat that nobodys even talking about yet. It is a good introduction into the topic of how climate change may and already does affect humans. Geotimes august 2006 from hot to cold in the arctic. In fact, on average, in the last number of decades, the arctic temperature has risen 1.

The northwest passage was once a mythic trade route that claimed dozens of europes foremost explorers. Theres been a dramatic reduction in arctic sea ice in recent years, which could trigger nonlinear climate change. Abrupt dire climate change faster then expected presentation by prof. Related impacts include ocean circulation changes, increased input of freshwater, and ocean acidification. Climate scientists propose that massive amounts of melting sea ice in the arctic. Increased potential for rapid, extensive seaice loss, geophys. From hot to cold in the arctic for the first time, scientists have recovered direct evidence of what life in the arctic has been like for the past 56 million years. Cold conditions in both the arctic and antarctic help to drive global circulation patterns in the atmosphere and ocean. His primary interest is joiningthedots on abrupt climate system change to determine where we are heading, and how fast, and what it all means for us and our amazing planet. Jan 29, 2020 in recent years, it has become known that the arctic region is extremely susceptible to climate change and global warming. The arctic and climate change university of california. Although climate scientists have known for some time that global warming was shrinking the percentage of the arctic ocean that was frozen over, few predicted so fast a thaw.

Arctic climate article about arctic climate by the free. Tales for a changing arctic by sara peach on aug 5, 2016 playwright is writing eight plays about the effects of climate change in the arctic. Climate scientists have calculated just how fast humans carbon emissions are melting arctic sea ice in a new study. This is a very short video clip about the effects of arctic climate change as observed by the iaupiaq people living in barrow, alaska. Arctic ecosystems are extremely sensitive to climate change and a likely increase in average winter temperatures of between three to six times the global average is predicted. Natalia shakhova collapse of industrial civilization. Dr natalia shakhova east siberian arctic shelf methane and climate change by nick breeze. Paul beckwith, climate system scientist abrupt climate. It is the first to provide an integrated assessment of the arctic climate system, recognizing that a true understanding of how the arctic functions lies in appreciating the interactions and linkages among its various components. In addition to the impacts of climate change, many other stresses brought about by human activities are simultaneously affecting life in the arctic, including air and water contamination, overfishing. Tales for a changing arctic yale climate connections.