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ICE
To say the study of climate is complex would be an understatement. Climate models use mathematical representations of the interactions between our atmosphere, oceans, land surfaces, and the sun to give us a better picture of some of the earth’s most dynamic natural processes.
But you don’t have to be a scientist to recognize the dramatic impacts that climate change is having on the Arctic. Average temperatures in the Arctic region are rising twice as fast as they are in other areas around the world. Satellite photos over the last twenty-five years show a demonstrable reduction in the size of the ice sheet that perennially covers the Arctic Ocean – a contraction of roughly nine percent per decade. The loss of this ice means that more of the sunlight that would otherwise be reflected back into space is absorbed by the ocean as heat, which in turn could speed up the rate of melting. It’s a good scenario for oil drilling prospects, as new areas of the Arctic Ocean become accessible, but the widespread, long-term negative effects on our global eco-systems will quickly outweigh those benefits.
Rising temperatures are already having impacts, from melting glaciers and land-based ice sheets, to increasing beach erosion, coastal flooding and contamination of freshwater supplies farther away. The warming Arctic will also affect weather patterns and food production around the world.
PHOTOS BY: WYLAND
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