Impacts Of Global Warming In The Arctic

Problem 1

Global warming is eroding the polar vortex, the powerful winds that once insulated the frozen north

Problem 2

A Russian tanker has travelled through the northern sea route in record speed and without an icebreaker escort for the first time, highlighting how climate change is opening up the high Arctic

Problem 3

Concerned about huge concentrations of microplastic fragments in sea ice. They say they've found plastic litter almost everywhere in the Arctic they have looked. Scientists are not yet sure how much of a threat this presents, but they are worried about the impact on Arctic wildlife if the particles are released as sea ice continues to shrink due to global warming.

Problem 4

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway was built to store samples of more than 20,000 crops from 100 nations, including a rare red okra from Tennessee, a Brazilian bean, 195 samples of wild potato, and the "Unger's Hungarian" cherry tomato from the US. It is under threat. An unexpected thaw of permafrost meant water flowed into the entrance of the vault's tunnel in late 2016.

Problem 5

Long-dormant bacteria and viruses, trapped in ice and permafrost for centuries, are reviving as Earth's climate warms. Climate change is melting permafrost soils in the Arctic that have been frozen for thousands of years, and as the soils melt they are releasing ancient viruses and bacteria that, having lain dormant, are springing back to life.

Problem 6

Shishmaref, a remote village of 563 people, sits on top of rapidly melting permafrost. In the last decades, the island's shores have been eroding into the sea, falling off in giant chunks whenever a big storm hits.

Problem 7

Polar bears rely on sea ice to hunt and store energy for the summer and autumn, when food can be scarce. Sea ice now melts earlier in the spring and forms later in the autumn in the bears' southern range, like Hudson Bay and James Bay in Canada. As the bears spend longer periods without food, their health declines.

Problem 8

A warmer climate could radically change tundra landscapes and what species are able to live in them. Warming creates potential feedback loops that encourage further destabilization of tundra ecosystems. The release of methane from deteriorating permafrost, for example, feeds the thawing cycle, while higher temperatures drive the growth of shrubs, which can change soil temperature and prevent snow from reflecting out heat.