Polar Regions Provide a New Outlook on Global Warming

by Chris Gwaltney

The incremental increase in temperature of the world has recently caught the eye of many people.  Many of these people labeled this event as global warming.  The Polar Regions are especially impacted by the effects of the increase in temperature. Climate change in the Arctic and Antarctic has affected many of the marine ecosystems in these areas.  Many organizations across the world have begun research to determine what exactly is happening in the Polar Regions and where are the solutions to this alarming problem.  One of the biggest concerns is determining how the biological and human systems will be affected. 

Global warming is not a new term for many people.  The temperature of the world has steadily increased and research shows that this trend will continue for a long time. The Arctic and Antarctic have shown the most change of temperature in recent years. The higher mean temperatures have had a detrimental effect on the marine ecosystem of the Arctic and Antarctic regions.  These changes have systemically impacted the geography of the entire world. As the temperature gets higher in the Polar Regions, water temperature also gets warmer. Warmer waters cause the ice and glaciers to melt. This in turn raises the sea level.  The world is already primarily water. Additional water serves to decrease the amount of land on earth. Another problem that this causes is that oceans become more acidic which negatively affects marine life. Many of the Polar Region vegetation and animals are now dying. Oceans play a key role the carbon cycle of the world.  The oceans absorb about one third of the carbon dioxide emissions on the earth. This allows a greater amount of oxygen which is vital for all living beings. The world depends on an intact marine ecosystem. This ecosystem is very fragile. When it gets out of balance, human beings are affected. Our quality of life is diminished and our basic conditions of air and water are at risk.  The increase in temperature around the world has thrown the ecosystem out of whack.  The impact of this imbalance is depicted in our present day Polar Regions. 

There is a particular study on the Antarctica Peninsula that really shows the positive and negative effects that global warming is having on the Polar Regions.  This peninsula is an extremely important place for nature.  It inhabits simple biological primitive plants, microbes and invertebrates, and is breeding grounds for marine mammals and birds.  This study has been ongoing for the last 50 years and has shown dramatic warming rates that are several times the global mean.  There has been a total of 14,000 km2 of ice lost and 87% of glacier termini has decreased.  This study really shows how if one thing suffers another one gains.  Since the ice has been melting the sea level has risen, the CO2 has increased, and many sea creatures and organisms have suffered.  On the other hand, when the snow melted much of the land has freed up for colonization and the flora and fauna has expanded.

These studies that are going on by various groups across the world like the German Advisory Council on World Change (WBGU), show how difficult it is to measure the effects that global warming is having on the world.  Whenever one specific group seems to be suffering, another one benefits from change.  Many reports display tons of data to show the changes that the environment is going through.  The facts show that the Arctic during the 20th century has had an increase by up to 5°C in air temperatures over extensive land areas.  The sea ice has thinned and declined in extent while the Atlantic water flowing into the Arctic Ocean is continuing to increase in temperature.  All of these things are affecting much of the ecosystem in a negative way.  While some things are suffering, others seem to prosper in the change of the environment.  These studies were done to find the effect that global warming was having on biological and human systems, but it seems that global warming has a mix of positive and negative effects.  It is extremely difficult to decide which ones are more important than others.

Bibliography

Crawford, R.M.M., 2004: Long-term plant survival at high latitudes. Bot. J Scotland.56, 1-23.

Dowdeswell, J.A., 2006: Atmospheric Science: the Greenland ice sheet and Global sea-level rise. Science, 311, 963-964.

ACIA, 2005. Impacts of Warming Arctic: Arctic Climate Impacts Assesment. Cambridge University Press Cambridge UK.

"Intergoverment Panel on Climate Change." IPCC Fourth Assesment. IPCC. 15 Nov. 2007 <http://www.ipcc-wg2.org/>.