Climate Change and Canada's Arctic by Ramon Vasquez

Style Inspiration

reva20071116 — 2024-11-08 22:15:14 UTC

Work by Jenny Jinya - attributes human elements to animals, evoking strong emotional responses from readers. Incorporates topics of detachment, loss, and family.

Peary Caribou

reva20071116 — 2024-11-08 22:41:50 UTC

Threatened

annual winter variability poses threats to prosperity of the Peary Caribou
- severe winters result in starvation
- moderate winters increase populations; genetic diversity decreases as limited food available causes die-offs and increases the chances of inbreeding. Peary Caribou - Nature Canada

Linking Arctic variability and change with extreme winter weather in the United States

reva20071116 — 2024-11-08 23:00:06 UTC

Anthropogenic global warming is expected to increase the weather extreme of heat waves and heavy precipitation. Contrarily, recent data evidence an unexpected increase in cold air outbreaks and snowfalls in the Northern Hemisphere.

2021 Texas cold wave- record energy failures and costs

Intense Arctic Warming due to sea ice loss has contributed to increased snow cover in Europe and Asia. This change affects the stratospheric polar vortex (SPV)*, especially as SPV stretching, amplifying cold temperatures in North America and Eurasia. SPV stretching reflects atmospheric waves into the troposphere, creating extreme cold, especially in North America.

*The polar vortex is "a large scale region of air [...] contained by a strong west-to-east jet stream that circles the polar region."Nasa Ozone Watch: Polar vortex facts

Polar Bear

reva20071116 — 2024-11-08 23:13:57 UTC

survival depends on sea ice availability; preys on ice-adapted seals
climate change has reduced sea-ice coverage, reducing feeding opportunities.
predicted extensive loss in sea ice risks future classification as endangered

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"Blooms in the Frozen North"

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"The emergence of blooming flowers [in the arctic] underscores the tangible effects of climate change on even the most extreme environments."

Increased Temperature and effect on Flowers

reva20071116 — 2024-11-08 23:25:39 UTC

Flower species native to the Arctic Islands or archipelagos are more temperature sensitive due to their high adaptation to a specific area.

small temperature changes can have lasting impacts on their survival
Variations in how species respond to climate change may influence competition, pollinator interactions, and the composition of Arctic ecological communities. How Does the Warming Arctic Impact Plants? - JSTOR Daily

Study finds "Most of Western Canada's glaciers will melt in 80 years"

reva20071116 — 2024-11-08 23:31:54 UTC

Continued greenhouse gas emission will expunge global glaciers in future decades.

problematic as glaciers in Western Canada provide water during the late summer or during times of drought.

"Arctic melt: Threat beneath the ice"

reva20071116 — 2024-11-08 23:32:42 UTC

Arctic heating twice as fast as global average
since 1990, the thickness of sea ice has decreased from 3 m to 2 m according to the Fram Strait Arctic Observatory
as sea ice melts, ice algae and phytoplankton are released into the sea. Short term effects include a stark increase in nutrients available; "jump starts the cycle of life in the ocean."
Long term effects: initial release of nutrients disrupts the balance of nutrient secretion; less ice impairs the cycle - smaller nutrient injection means less food "further up the chain"

Phytoplankton's response to climate change has its ups and downs

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As the ocean's acidity increases, the shell making process of phytoplankton requires more energy. Scientists fear that the cost of energy will cause calcifying phytoplankton to eventually abandon their shells - slowing down CO2 drawdown and worsening climate change.

the sinking carcasses of photosynthetic plankton transport carbon from the ocean surface to the seafloor, crucial to the temperature-regulating carbon cycle.

Potential link of "emaciated polar bear" stirs debate over climate change consequences

reva20071116 — 2024-11-08 23:51:59 UTC

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Polar Bear Cannibalism - reflection of climate change and food scarcity

reva20071116 — 2024-11-09 00:03:19 UTC

Stimulated by lack of food - some cases document large males attacking females with cubs

Walruses and climate change

reva20071116 — 2024-11-09 00:11:52 UTC

walruses highly dependent on sea-ice coverage

require ice floes to raise calves and forage for food
ocean acidification threatens the availability of their main food source - mollusks
Climate change will increase the availability of the Arctic to oil and gas industries; industrial noises may increase the stress of populations, resulting in stampeding
climate change has increased gatherings of walruses, increasing the potency of disease spread.

reva20071116 — 2024-11-09 00:13:05 UTC

Orcas - Endangered

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Orca status - Canada Dec 2023

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reasons for endangerment

population initially small and continues to decline. Leads to inbreeding as population does not immigrate
principle prey Chinook salmon population declining
further impacted by vessel traffic, acoustic disturbances, industrial contaminants, and oil spills

Climate change exacerbates all of these factors.

Oil Spill

reva20071116 — 2024-11-09 00:22:11 UTC