Arctic Circle : Whats the recent concern!

Arctic Circles : Real threat to the Earth & Ecology

Facts & figures about Article Circle

The Arctic circle is one of the two polar circles and most northerly of the five major circle of latitude. It marks the northernmost point at which the centre of the noon is just visible on the December solstice and the southernmost point at which the centre of the midnight sun is just visible on the June solstice. The region north of this circle is known as the earth as the Arctic, and the zone just to the south is called the Northern Temperate Zone.

The position of the Arctic Circle is not fixed and currently runs 66°33'48.1'' north of the equator.

Geographical figures

• Length - 1600 km
• Area - 20 mill sq. km
• passes through the Arctic Ocean, the Scandivian, North Asia, Northern America, Greenland
• Arctic Countries comprises Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, US (Alaska), Canada, Denmark (Greenland)and Iceland.

Climate

Long, cold winters and short, cool summer characteristics of the Arctic Climate. Sea ice, glacial ice, or snow covers some parts if the Arctic year-round, and almost all of the Arctic experiences long periods of the year with some form of surface ice. Winter temp. can drop below - 58° (-50℃), and summer temp. can occasionally exceed 86°F (30℃). Now, the Arctic is marked as the climatic laboratory for the rest of the planet.

Habitat to Flaura & Fauna

The Arctic circle is there polar bears, Arctic foxes, wolves and reindeer can be found as well as various species of birds such as snowy owls, bald eagles and those over so charming puffins (no penguins!) the Arctic Ocean provides a home for various types of whales, seals, walruses, fish and plankton.

Approx. 20,000 species of plants, animals, and microorganisms make the arctic home. Vegetation includes grasses, sedges, polar poppies, willow shrubs, dwarf birch, lichens, liverworts and mosses.

Arctic Fox

Polar Bear

Willow Vegetation

Major issues & threats

The Arctic Circle and impact of the Global Warming

The people and animals that live in the Arctic depend on its unique ecosystem to survive. For them the climate change is the actual threat to live their livelihood and it's a daily reality. And with the region warming twice as fast the rest of the world, the arctic ice is melting even faster, as the ocean absorbs the heat.

Oil drilling in the Arctic Circle

Arctic Ocean drilling is a gamble with catastrophic consequences for the people, wildlife and the sensitive ecosystem of the region. And yet major companies like Shell and the Exxon are making aggressive move to ushers a new "Oil rush" in the arctic ocean that we need a longer term fix we need to keep Arctic Ocean off limits to call drilling forever.

Climate Change

Anthropogenic climate change (due to human activities) is caused by greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere, largely the result of fossil fuel use since in the industrial revolution and deforestation caused by land use changes. These gases trap energy in the atmosphere that would otherwise escape to space.

Changes in Biological diversity

The people of the north are heavily reliant, both for food and for social and cultural reasons, on the variety and abundance of organisms (biodiversity). Biodiversity is dramatically in the north, the result of over harvesting, global habitat loss in wintering and staging grounds used by the migratory species and most significantly climate change.

Accumulation of toxic chemicals

Wind & ocean currents carry persistent chemicals, many of which are toxic to the arctic mining and oil development in northern Canada, the Barents Sea and Alaska could increase the chemical load in the Arctic. Increased shipping as a result of climate change will expose the Arctic to a greater risk of pollution. In addition, radioactive waste much of the result of cold war activities in the former Soviet Union - found in the Arctic.

Chemicals of concern include your POPs, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), DDT, and some organophosphate pesticides, as well as heavy metals such as mercury.

Recent in News

• 'Extreme fires erupt in the Arctic Circle' - Mashable.com Report

For the second straight year, an unusually large number of intense fires have ignited in the Arctic Circle, the polar region a top Earth.

• 'Siberian town hits highest temperature in records history for the Arctic Circle' - the Accuwaether Report

Verkhyoyansk, a Siberian town located 3000 miles east of Moscow, Russia, reached 100.4 °F on Saturday, breaking the record high temp for the Arctic Circle and Siberia and also making the first time that either region has reached 100°F in recorded history.

• 'Siberian town records 100°F day - the hottest in Arctic history' - Live Science Report

• 'Extreme weather 'record' likely in Arctic Circle, says UN weather agency WHO - UN reports

• 'Satellite images show wildfires ravaging the Arabic Circle' - by Yahoo!News

• 'Russian mining firm accused of using global heating to avoid blame of oil spill'

What does it signify?

Recent transition shows the clear evidence that the heatwave in the arctic aren't usual. Weather patterns around the world can align in such a way that hot air is transported quite far northward and colder air from the poles southward. Over the last few months a large area of high pressure in the eastern Russia has been dominant. This has led to southerly winds bringing warmer air from near the tropics, leading to higher than avg temp.

However, the persistence of this weather pattern has led to a congevity and scale of heat that is worrying. This is consistent with what climatologists believe will happen in the Arctic with Climate Change. Most scientist agree that over the past 30 years, the arctic has warned at a two times rate of global average.

Why its so concern the warming of Arctic?

• The North & South poles play a vital role in regulating the earth's climate - acting as natural cooling system.
• Warming in the Arctic is leading to the thawing of once permanently frozen permafrost below grow. (Permafrost thaws, CO₂ & CH₄ previously locked up below ground is released).
• Reduced snow cover will mean that the Earth absorbs more heat from the Sun & ocean current shift. Arctic region is also home to millions of people, many from unique, indigenous populations. These people and their cultures are also at risk.
• The impact of wildfires are also a consideration few years back, they ravaged parts of the Arctic. Although they are common in summer, high temp & strongly winds made them unusual several.