Throughout this project, I want to explore the depths of how global warming affects not only the many species that roam the land, but also, how the climate changes will affect the lifestyles of those in the Arctic region. The Polar Regions of the Earth are displaying drastic changes already occurring to the sculptures of the sea and will proceed to grow well into 2100. As the sea-ice and freshwater glaciers continue to rapidly melt, the permafrost advances to thaw, releasing much greenhouse gases that are making it very difficult for species to adapt to these escalating changes. A whole ecosystem in the Arctic relies on the presence of sea-ice that is slowly deteriorating due to global warming.
From the Polar Bears that stomp on the tops of the ice, to the Walrus’s that rely heavily on the floating sea-ice to haul out onto the land, to even small Plankton that live at the bottom of the sea, sea-ice is a crucial aspect of their lives. This disappearance of the thick, layered glaze, crusted over the ocean’s surface, is steadily melting away causing fear in many species. Because of this quick changes to the arctic, species are changing their feeding and migration patterns. This is making it harder for native people to hunt them and causing problems along Arctic coastlines where entire villages will be uprooted because they’re in danger of being swamped. In doing this project I hope to broaden my knowledge of the drastic and scary changes ahead for the Arctic Region and provide a well fit explanation of where we will be going in the years ahead with the threat of global warming.
~LH
Good find on the video. There has been some recent discussion about permafrost (and its melting) and what implications that has for buildings in the far north. I look forward to your paper.
Have you considered the possibility that the Earth goes through phases of hot and cold naturally and perhaps we are just on a warming trend?
It’s awful that that Arctic is suffering so much but how much of the ice in the Arctic is actually gone and is it true that if this continues there will be an ice free Arctic in the near future?
Very interesting to hear the melting causes emissions of greenhouse gases. As Dr. Lisa stated it could be a new, livable frontier in the future, but will the loss of certain species and the biome itself be so destructive to life, that it outweighs the benefits of new land? This could all be the earth repairing what we’ve damaged. Climate change can vastly change our landscape, but we might end up with the same biomes, just in different places. But that is just my UNeducated idea of what MAY happen.
Great topic choice! While we are discussing the possiblity of a livable frontier sometime in the future, we should also focus on the negative effects of the arctic melting, such as the rapidly rising sea levels. Some scientists have predicted with the melting of the polar ice caps, a vast majority of currently livable land will be under water, essentially meaning our continents as we know them will shrink substantially.