Arctic: the playground of researchers

Although some continue to deny it, climate change is having real effects that are gradually becoming apparent. Europe experienced during the summer of 2022 deadly heat waves. Floods or droughts appear more and more frequently. Nevertheless, one place on Earth is experiencing the impact of warming even more: the Arctic.

In fact, the North Pole of our planet is suffering more than many other regions of the globe. A study published in 2022 in the journal Communications Earth & Environment assessed the warming of this polar circle. It would be four times higher than anywhere else. Bad news especially since in 2021, scientists would have observed that the Arctic Ocean was already beginning to warm in the early 20th century.

An open-air laboratory

As a result, for scientists from different branches of the life sciences, the Arctic has become a huge laboratory. Not that this region did not interest them before. But it is a real-time witness to the situation. What's more, as the days of extreme cold become rarer, it is easier for teams to go there. Moreover, different universities around the world have come together to form the UArctic, sharing practices, discoveries and more. From the University of Sherbrooke in Canada to the University of Lapland in Finland, most faculties in countries that border this immense northern region are part of it.

Everything can be of interest to Arctic researchers.

• The soils first are quite important since for many years it has been noted that a considerable amount of permafrost is warming. Now, these soils contain methane that could accelerate the phenomenon of global warming. Swedish, Danish and French specialists, however, published a rare piece of good news in 2022. The amount of gas released would be less than expected.
  
  
• Many hydrologists and glaciologists are interested in this region, which is becoming less and less icy. They study ice dynamics in the sea or the rate of river discharge into the boreal ocean. This way, they can observe and share what is happening over months and years. Scientists have been able to estimate that rainfall will be greater than snowfall in some Arctic areas starting in 2050. This would be particularly noticeable in the fall before winter arrives (later) and provides snow cover.
  
  
• Biologists also note changes in boreal wildlife. While some species such as the polar bear or lemming are having serious difficulty adapting to this increasingly icy world, others are becoming established. Snow geese are more numerous than ever and beavers are moving in on the tundra. Yet their settlements on streams are disrupting the soil and the fragile Arctic ecosystem.
  
  Same with the orcas that are now pulling up in the ocean waters of this region. Researchers are trying to understand how they have adapted to the new realities and the effect of their large presence on the environment.

Slowing down Arctic warming

In short, it seems that more than ever transformations are taking place rapidly on and around lands that were once almost always frozen. Scientists are well aware that these upheavals will reverberate across the rest of the planet. This is already being felt in Canada, among other places, where winters are seeing bitterly cold temperatures at times even in the country's southernmost cities. This is due to the significant decrease in the polar vortex that kept temperatures more frigid in the north. Now, with its rate slowing due to warming, bubbles of extreme cold can reach more areas to the south. The phenomenon also occurs at the South Pole.

So, for scientists, the Arctic and Antarctic must not give in to the deteriorating climate situation. So research is trying to understand and propose solutions. Some are already suggesting cleaning up land tainted by the exploitation of various resources. Others theorize about the possibility of injecting aerosols into the atmosphere at the poles. A geoengineering project that raises more questions than enthusiasm. Because if it were theoretically possible, no one knows what the repercussions would be, for example, of a significant amount of sulfur in the atmosphere for the species living in these biomes. Not to mention that limiting solar radiation would have effects on northern populations.

So the future of the Arctic requires real transformations in human activities. This will require a strong push to slow the progress of climate change. In the meantime, scientists and students in the life sciences will unfortunately have the onerous task of constantly reminding us of the effects of our inaction on the poles through research and a few shocking images.

Photo credit: en.depositphotos.com

References:

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"Deep Insights Into the Arctic of Tomorrow." CIRES. Last updated February 28, 2022. https://cires.colorado.edu/news/deep-insights-arctic-tomorrow.

"La Dynamique Des Glaces De Mer." Canadian Foundation for Innovation. Last updated December 8, 2021. https://www.innovation.ca/fr/projets-resultats/exemples-succes-recherche/dynamique-glaces-mer.

"The Arctic Is Warming Four Times Faster Than The Rest Of The Earth, Says A Study." Europe 1. Last updated August 11, 2022. https://www.europe1.fr/sciences/larctique-se-rechauffe-quatre-fois-plus-vite-que-le-reste-de-la-terre-selon-une-etude-4127802.

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Mayer, Nathalie. "Global Warming: Rivers Empty Into Arctic Ocean at High Speed." Futura. Last updated November 30, 2021. https://www.futura-sciences.com/planete/actualites/arctique-rechauffement-climatique-rivieres-vident-ocean-arctique-grande-vitesse-95231/.

McGill University. "Killer Whale Populations Are Invading the Arctic - Unlocking Secrets From Their Blubber." SciTechDaily. Last updated May 28, 2022. https://scitechdaily.com/killer-whale-populations-are-invading-the-arctic-unlocking-secrets-from-their-blubber/.

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Perreault, Mathieu. "The Arctic, A Real Laboratory In Summer." La Presse. Last updated August 28, 2022. https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/sciences/2022-08-28/l-arctique-veritable-laboratoire-en-ete.php.

Raymond, Stephanie. "The Arctic: A Hot Topic at UdeS." University Of Sherbrooke. Last updated August 31, 2022. https://www.usherbrooke.ca/actualites/nouvelles/environnement/details/48195.

UArctic. Accessed September 27, 2022. https://www.uarctic.org/.