Arctic and Antarctic Ecosystems

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Arctic and Antarctic Ecosystems

• The Effects of Global Warming
• Samantha Brovko

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The Arctic
Image from www.bugbog.com
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Arctic Ecosystem

• Some Facts
• Includes land from 8 Nations
• Ocean surrounded by land mass
• Sea Ice and some Land-based Ice
• Climate Changes Amplified
• Mostly Icebergs and Sea Ice
• Ice Albedo gtgt Water Albedo
• Not as much ice as Antarctic
• Lots of Cooling Power

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Arctic Ecosystem

• More People Live Here
• Increased Stress on Environment and Resources
• Diverse Wildlife and Plant Life
• More Organisms to be Affected
• Provides Natural Resources to the World
• Highly Variable Region

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Arctic Ecosystem

• Arctic Warming Global Implications
• Arctic Vegetation Moves North
• Animals and Resources
• Coastal Storms
• Melting Permafrost
• Indigenous Communities

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The Antarctic
Image from www.webcamcruise.com
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Antarctic Ecosystem

• Some Facts
• 10 Land mass
• 14 Million square kilometres
• Three regions East, West and Peninsula
• Average ice depth of 2 kilometres
• Climate Changes Amplified
• Ice Albedo gtgt Water Albedo
• Enhances cooling power of the Antarctic
• Heat sink of the Southern Hemisphere

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Antarctic Ecosystem

• Considerable year-to-year variations
• Key in production of Ocean bottom water and
  dense, saline ocean water
• Deep Sea Marine Life
• Around 30 million cubic kilometres of ice
• Sea Level
• Warmer Temperatures a Thinner ice, lower albedo,
  more heat
• Global Climate Changes

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Arctic and Antarctic Ecosystem

• Current Technologies are Inefficient
• Present Models Break Down for Polar Region
  Predictions
• Cannot accurately represent outcome of global
  climate change in the region
• Which Aspect is the Biggest Contributor?

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