Arctic Climate Change

It’s rather obvious that human causes are more vulnerable compared to natural causes. Natural causes are normally external to the climate system, such as changes in volcanic activity, solar output, and the Earth 's orbit around the Sun. On the other side, climate change that are caused by human activities, are such as the burning of fossil fuels and also the conversion of land for forestry and agriculture. Not only that, carbon dioxide is also one of the main cause of human-induced climate change. Ever since the Industrial Revolution, the production of carbon dioxide which is a greenhouse gas has been increasing tremendously.

Earth’s climate has been changing over the last few decades, with the global temperatures rising at a high rate (Corell, 2006). Some of these climate changes are due to natural causes, although the strength at which temperatures are rising indicates human influences, such as increased carbon dioxide emission, as well as other greenhouse gases. Climate change particularly affects the Arctic region, where warmer temperatures are causing decrease in sea ice extent and thickness, permafrost thawing, coastal erosion, changes in ice sheets and shelves, and consequently, changes in the distribution and reproduction rates of Arctic species (Corell, 2006). Warmer temperatures have led to increased melting of glaciers and sea ice, and shortening of

The global average temperature increased by about 0.8°C from 2005, but the current warming trend is 0.13 – 0.16 °C per decade, and it is projected to continue to rise at a rapid rate (Hansen et al.2010). The effect of the activities of man especially in technologically advanced nations, has brought about emission of CO2 and other greenhouse gases which has resulted in the depletion of the ozone layer and global warming (Hegerl et al., 1997; Tett et al., 1999, 2002; Stott et al., 2000).These can be seen from the changes in meteorological parameters such as temperature and precipitation.

The annual mean of the air temperature is about -9 ℃ isotherm has moved southwards, makes the result in ice-shelf collapse and glacier recession. Ice core provides a longer-period of perspective on climate over the past of four global cycles or longer. Methane and carbon dioxide atmospheric concentration are higher which recorded in ice core in the last 650 000 years. The ice cores also records that carbon dioxide and temperature is cross-linking with each other over the last 400 thousand years, which have strong connection between ‘greenhouse gases’ and temperature. According to Dyurgerov & Meier (2000), the rise in air temperature suggested by the temperature sensitivities of glaciers in cold regions is somewhat greater than the global average temperature rise derived largely from low altitude gauges, and the warming is

Climate change is also resulting in more habitat fragmentation. As Arctic ice melts, polar bears are affected by increased shipping activities and a rise in opportunities for oil and gas development. (WWF,2017) As the Climate Changes Understanding causes and consequences of climate-related shifts in ecosystem functioning, as well as the role of focal species in these processes, is currently a dominant theme in ecology. In the Arctic, temperature has increased at a rate two to three times faster than at southerly latitudes (Post et al.,

What is global warming? Global Warming is the increase of Earth 's normal surface temperature due to impact of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide radiations from lighting fossil fuels or from the removal of trees which lure heat that would otherwise get away from Earth. This is a kind of greenhouse impact. Global warming is the determined and relieved increases in the mean temperature of Earth atmosphere and oceans. The Earth normal temperature rose about 0.6° Celsius in the 20th century.

This fluctuation in temperatures has caused surface temperatures to rise, ice sheets to shrink, ocean levels to rise, and ocean acidification. In the past few years, there have been more extreme record events than seen before, such as larger and more powerful storms, longer and hotter droughts, et cetera (Climate Change). Everything in our world is so finely tuned that just a few degrees means the difference between 30,000 feet of ice, and extreme droughts and heat waves (The

There isn’t enough food in the forest. The drought killed more than 12 million trees. The trees fell down so the bears are really cramped so they come to town for food and space. Some people are really afraid of the bears that come to town. People think that the bears are very dangerous.

Throughout the course of history the earth’s climate has dramatically, changed within the last 650,000 years, there has been seven cycles of glacial advance and retreat. “In the past two decades, the scientific community has reached an overwhelming consensus those human activities are causing changes to the global climate.” (David B. Resnik). There has been a massive increase production of carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases in the last century that has caused the climate change around the world. “If humanity does not start significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions, average global temperatures will likely increase by several degrees Celsius in the next fifty years, which would lead disastrous environmental consequences, such as flooding of coastal areas, increased numbers of powerful hurricanes, desertification, decreased agricultural productivity, and loss of biodiversity.” (David B. Resnik). The main driver of today’s warming is the combustion of fossil fuels.

Climate change, sometimes referred to as global warming is the drastic change in weather patterns that are occurring across the globe. It particularly means the rise in the average surface temperatures all across the world. A major cause of this problem is the burning of fossil fuels to produce energy. The gases, carbon dioxide, methane, chlorofluorocarbons, nitrogen oxides, water vapour and others released by the burning of these non-renewable resources forms a blanket above the earth’s surface which allows heat to enter the earth but prevents its escape to space resulting in the rise in global temperatures. Today, this issue has become an increasing threat to places, people and animal species.

The overall increase in sea surface temperatures has occurred during the past three decades. The rate of increase in sea level has increased to more than an inch per decade in recent years. An increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, which dissolve in water, have lead to an increase in ocean acidity (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2015). In the Great Lakes, lake ice form later than expected because warmer sea surface temperatures in the Great Lakes have contributed to a decrease in sea level by increasing rates of evaporation. This extends the season for evaporation (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2015).

If we noticed it or not, our planet is warming up. All the way from North Pole to South Pole. Since 1906, the global average surface temperature has gone up from 1.1 to 1.6 degrees Fahrenheit, this is more noticeable in the polar regions. This effects of the rising temperatures isn’t to be taken lightly just because the average surface temperature has gone up by .5. The small change in heat is melting the glaciers, not just the north and south poles but mountain glaciers, ice sheets covering West Antarctica and Greenland, and Arctic sea ice.

Carbon dioxide which is a strong gas releaser has caused changing conditions in the atmosphere that we live in. To show the great dangers that humans have had on the atmospheric gases the 7.3 billion people on Earth pull in twice the amount of carbon dioxide produced by trees and oceans (Gonzalez 2). The carbon dioxide emissions in the Earth’s atmosphere surpassed 400 parts per million for a monthly average in Spring 2013 (Fleur 1). The conditions of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the amount that is consuming the air we breathe , doesn’t look like it will be stopping anytime soon. In 2014, the average amount of global carbon dioxide rose to 397.7 parts per million, and comparing that to the emissions of the year 1750 which was 278 million parts per million (Fleur 2).

Glaciers have an impact on the rise in sea level the glaciers melt and causes about .03 inch rise in the sea level per year this is equivalent to 571 trillion pounds of water! Glaciers are responsible for ⅔ of the sea level rising in almost a decade. If it continues it can and will lead to loss in homes, land, and beaches. And the rise if sea level is not just the glaciers, it’s also the ice sheets of Greenland and the ice sheets of Antarctica. If all the world 's glaciers would melt the sea would rise 24 inches, scientist speculate that Greenland’s and Antarctica 's ice sheets melt it has potential to raise sea level a little under 220 feet (66 meters.)