NIPR KYOKUCHIKEN Welcome to Hi! My name is ‘Pole’. I’m a polar bear. Do you know the Arctic, the Arctic! where polar bears live? Today, I’m going to tell you all sorts of secrets that you never knew about the Arctic.
Contents My name is ‘Snow’. I’m a little reindeer. Where is the Arctic? 4
Animals in the Arctic 6
Plants in the Arctic 8
People and the Arctic 10
Problems in the Arctic 12
One Arctic with Science1 14
Japan's Arctic Research 16
Future of Arctic Research 23
2 Try this fun quiz on Arctic trivia! Q1 How many countries have territories in the Arctic? A. 4 B. 8 C. 10 3 The answer is on the next page 1 Where is the Arctic? How are the Arctic and the Antarctic diff erent? Basically, the Antarctic is on What is the Arctic like? land, and the Arctic is in the ocean. The North Pole sits on Is the Arctic at the very top of the That is right. Parts of Greenland, sea ice in the ocean. Its bor- globe? Alaska, Canada, and Russia are all in der is not well-defi ned, so Ny-Ålesund in Spitsbergen Island, Svalbard. people have diff erent ideas This top part of the globe where the the Arctic. about where it starts. Some red arrow is pointing is the North Does Japan have a research obser- people think it is the north- Pole, located at 90° North latitude. vatory in the Arctic? ern area beyond the tree line What we all call the Arctic is actual- It sure does! It is in the Svalbard Ar- where trees cannot grow, while others think it is the ly the area within higher latitude chipelago in Norway. area where the warmest above 66.5°N, with the North Pole month of the year is colder at its center: the area circled with a than 10°C on average. Per- dotted blue line in the picture. haps the biggest diff erence Nordaustlandet between the Arctic and the Spitsbergen Antarctic is that the Arctic is
Ny-Ålesund areas where people actually Prins Karls live there. Eight countries Forland Ny-Ålesund have territories in the Arctic. Barentsøya NIPR Observatory Do you know which ones? Longyearbyen *See the bottom left of this page for Edgeøya the answer.
Greenland (DENMARK) Svalbard Archipelago
North Pole
66.5° N
CANADA
RUSSIA
Alaska ⒸNASA Goddard’s Scientifi c Visualization Studio (USA)
4 A1 B is correct. The United States, Canada, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Q2 How big is an adult polar bear? 5 and Russia, all have territories in the Arctic. The answer is on the next page 2 Animals in the Arctic
Come meet our friends in the Arctic.
Many animals, including polar bears Muskox Bearded seal Walrus like me, live in the Arctic. Do you know why so many animals live here? Is it because polar bears have lots to eat? Are there penguins in No, silly! It is because the Arctic is the Arctic, too? connected to land. Also, nutrient-rich The name ‘pen- water fl ows into the Arctic Ocean guin’ was what from rivers on land, which makes the people called ocean full of living creatures. murres, a type of seabird that Oh, I see! So, the land and ocean are is quite com- Thick-billed both rich with life. mon in the Arc- murre of Polar bear Arctic fox the Arctic tic. A remark- ably similar bird was later discovered in the Southern Hemisphere, and they called them ‘penguins’ too. If you look at the picture, you can see that both penguins and murres are black and white. They are both excellent swim- mers and can dive almost 200 meters deep! Nevertheless, they are totally diff erent spe- Adelie penguin of the Antarctic cies.
6 A2 Adult polar bears are about 2 to 2.5 meters long, and adult males weigh up to 600 Q3 What do polar bears like to eat? 7 kg. Polar bears are the biggest carnivore on the globe. The answer is on the next page 3 Plants in the Arctic Eight-petal mountain-avens The Arctic Dense cotton-grass has fl ower gardens, too! Polar willow
Look, look! All of the fl owers on this page grow in the Arctic. If you think the Arctic is just ice- bound world, think again. Apetalous catchfl y Most of the Arctic consists of tun- dra where trees do not grow (*see the page on the right), but the area of the tundra is full of these beauti- ful fl owers. Members of the fi reweed Some of these fl owers are like the Purple mountain saxifrage ones that grow at high mountains in Japan. They are also food for you and your ＊ friends. Cushion-pink The tundra is a treasure trove That is right! They are not just pret- of living things. ty; they also nourish the animals Most of the land in the Arctic tundra is living in the Arctic. covered by permafrost, which is ground that stays frozen all year round. But it is Polar poppy not barren land. In the Arctic, we have polar nights in midwinter because the Reindeer sun does not rise, and we have midnight sun in midsummer because the sun does not set. During that short summer, the surface of the permafrost melts and plants sprout all at once. Then, herds of reindeer and other grass-eating animals move to the tundra. Meat-eating carnivores, like arctic foxes and Blakiston’s fi sh owls, also come to the tundra. The Arctic is full of life and busy in summer!
8 A3 They like to eat seals. They catch them on sea ice. Q4 Is a muskox really an ox? 9 The answer is on the next page 4 People and the Arctic Indigenous people and the Mythology
Robert Edwin Peary of the Northern Competition to reach the North Pole first (1856-1920) Lights Indigenous Inuit and Sámi people have a unique no- When did humans fi rst arrive in the Really? I guess we will never know madic way of life, hunting Arctic? the truth. seals and walruses, and Indigenous Inuit and Sámi people A Norwegian named Fridtjof Nansen herding reindeer. The beau- tiful Northern Lights are de- have lived in the harsh Arctic envi- did not reach the North Pole himself, scribed variously in the leg- ronment for a very long time. but he is called the father of polar ex- end, connecting this world Records show that Europeans had ploration. He attempted to reach the to the afterlife, the spirits of already crossed the Arctic Ocean be- North Pole onboard a ship named the dead playing a ball game with walrus tusk, spirits of fore the Common Era, but it was not Fram that he designed himself, by old women dancing in the until the 15th century that actual ex- drifting along the ocean current with afterlife. Maybe the aurora ploration of the region began. How- sea ice. His observations of ocean Fridtjof Nansen borealis was feared by many (1861-1930) ever, the harsh environment of the currents made much progress in ma- because of its appearance in the night sky. When we think North Pole did not make it easy for rine research. The Fram was also about the Arctic, we must them. It was not until the 20th centu- used by another Norwegian explorer never forget these people ry that explorers fi nally made it to named Roald Amundsen who suc- who live closely with nature. the North Pole. cessfully reached the South Pole. Who was the fi rst person to reach Their successes were actually due to the North Pole? the indigenous people. They taught An American named Robert Peary both Nansen and Amundsen every- (1909) claimed to be the fi rst person thing about survival skills in the polar to reach the pole, but recent studies regions, from how to use dog sleds suggest that the proof he provided to how to fi nd food. was fake.
10 A4 No. It has ‘ox’ in its name, but it is actually a relative of goats and sheep. Q5 Can you visit the Arctic from Japan by plane? 11 The answer is on the next page 5 Problems in the Arctic Drawing with ADS VISHOP based on JAXA satellite "Shizuku" data.
1980s
The ice in the Arctic is melting! 1990s
2000s 2012 About a century has passed since Why is this happening? explorers fi rst reached at the North Scientists believe that these changes 2010s Pole. The Arctic climate has changed are being caused by global warming. a lot since then. They think that it is due to the in- Arctic sea ice keeps shrinking ● is an area where we cannot obtain data More and more glaciers are breaking up The sea ice that once covered the crease of greenhouse gases, like car- Arctic Ocean is shrinking. bon dioxide, which is produced when That is right! Observations have we burn oil and coal in large amounts The map at the top left shows the area of aver- shown that the area covered by sea to make our livelihood more com- aged sea ice extent on September 16 calculat- ice in summer of 2012 was less than fortable and convenient. ed from diff erent years. The Arctic Ocean was covered by ice up to the half the size in the 1980s. And it is yellow line in the 1980s. not just sea ice; glaciers are also Then, in the 1990s and 2000s, the area of ice shrinking. cover shrank until it only occupied the mini- mum extent in 2012, marked by the white area.
Is there anything good about global warming? There are some people who think that glob- Northern al warming is a good thing. They want to Sea Route take advantage of the shrinking ice to de- velop new, shorter sea routes that connect Rotterdam the Atlantic and Pacifi c Oceans. Other peo- Tokyo ple want to exploit many resources from Suez Canal the sea fl oor. But a challenge in the Arctic is a challenge for the whole planet, and we need to act together to secure the planet. normal route The Arctic Council was formed by eight countries with territories in the Arctic, with permanent participants of indigenous orga- The distance between Europe and Japan would be about 30-40% shorter if ships nizations. The role of the council is to create went through the Arctic Ocean com- international rules to protect the Arctic, and pared to the current route through the to make sure it’s sustainable use. Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea.
12 A5 Yes. You can fl y from Narita Airport to Norway and from there to Spitsbergen Island, Q6 Where is the world’s northernmost automated teller machine (ATM)? 13 where the Japanese research observatory is located. The answer is on the next page 6 One Arctic with Science Is there a utopia for scientists in the Arctic? Climate change in There is a village in the Arc- tic where scientists across the world have come togeth- the Arctic is a crisis er to do scientifi c research. The village is in Ny-Ålesund for the whole planet. on Spitsbergen Island in the Svalbard Archipelago. Norway has sovereignty over Not only is the sea ice melting, but the Svalbard Archipelago, but warming of the Arctic is speeding up. Scientists around the world are it is not Norwegian territory. Ice sheet in Greenland and glaciers starting to focus on the Arctic. In 1920, after World War I, many countries signed the in Alaska are also shrinking. They are conducting research Oceanographic Research Vessel Svalbard Treaty which made “MIRAI” (JAMSTEC) in a wide range of areas on land, Why are the eff ects of global warm- the islands free for anyone to in the sea, and in the air. ing so evident in the Arctic? use. Later, Norway called for The ice fl oating on the Arctic Ocean it to build an international sta- tion for Arctic scientifi c re- is thin and it melts easily. Also, the search. To control global warm- Arctic Ocean is surrounded by areas ing, we need research and where people live, so it is more eas- cooperation that crosses bor- ily aff ected by our activities. ders. Japan, of course, will play an important role in these re- We can’t lose our home. search activities. Warming in the Arctic might also be a major cause for the unusual weather that we are seeing around the world. Scientists across the world have come together to investigate the eff ect of Arctic warming on global weather.
Ny-Ålesund
14 A6 It is in Longyearbyen on Spitsbergen Island. Longyearbyen is said to be the northern- Q7 What is the diff erence between sea ice and icebergs? 15 most town where people live to spend their usual life. The answer is on the next page 7 Japan’s Arctic Research
What does Japan observe Atmospheric observation in the Arctic? Watching the Arctic atmosphere over 25 years
Are you from Japan? Arctic be able to live peacefully for- Yes, I’m from the National Institute ever? of Polar Research (NIPR) in Tokyo. We will do whatever we can to make Why did you come all this way? sure all living things on the globe can I want to know all about the Arctic. live in peace. We cannot stop global warming if I want to know more about your re- we do not understand all about how search. fast climate change has progressed Okay then, starting on the next page, in the Arctic and how it happens. I will tell you all about the research If your observations and research being conducted by Japan.
progress, will my friends and I in the Aerosols observatory on the summit
Japan has been observing the ozone ments of aerosols and clouds in the layer in the Antarctic for decades atmosphere. Aerosols are things like and was the fi rst country in the world small dust and smoke that are pro- to discover the ozone hole. So, we duced by burning petroleum oil or believe continuous observation is coal. Aerosols have the opposite ef- important for Japan’s research in the fect of greenhouse gases – they block Arctic as well. We opened an Arctic sunlight and may even cool the Earth research observatory in 1991 and over time. In fact, changes in Arctic have been observing carbon diox- atmosphere are close- ide, methane, and other greenhouse ly related to unusual gases ever since. By continuing our weather in Japan. observation, we can notice changes Watching changes in quickly and can then make better fu- the Arctic is also im- ture predictions. portant for us to pre- Another observation that Japan has dict the weather in been continuing are to measure- Japan.
16 A7 Frozen seawater is called sea ice. Broken pieces of ice sheet and glaciers pushed out Q8 Is it true that there is no night in summer in the Arctic? 17 to sea are called icebergs. The answer is on the next page 7 Japan’s Arctic Research
Snow and ice observation Wildlife observation Challenging to the frontline of global warming Discovering the secrets of wildlife
Greenland ice sheet Young bearded seal with a data logger
The eff ects of warming in the Arc- als in such studies. By analyzing Biologging is a method to study they hunt seals that are sleeping tic are most visible in Greenland. the ancient air, chemicals, and mi- the hidden biology of wildlife by on the water surface. Ice sheet – huge masses of ice ris- croorganisms trapped in the ice, attaching video cameras and GPS ing several kilometers high that are we have discovered that there was systems to animals to collect their made from snow accumulating over a time long ago when the world activity data. This observation tech- hundreds of thousands of years – was warmer than it is today and nique has been refi ned in the Ant- have begun melting. The white area there much less ice. We have also arctic research. In the Arctic, data in the picture above is an ice sheet, obtained and studied ice cores loggers have been used to tell us and you can see pools of water here from Antarctica, and by combining about the ecology of bearded seals and there where the ice has melt- the fi ndings from Antarctica and and polar bears. ed. We are studying how the amount the Arctic we can understand fur- Through this research, we recent- of ice in the ice sheet increased ther more about ly discovered that the Greenland and decreased in the past. Ice col- the mechanisms of shark swims surprisingly slowly. It umns called “ice cores” that are climate change. swims as slow as a human baby drilled out of ice sheet have be- crawls. However, this shark catch- ⒸNRK/Armin Mück come important research materi- es the seals to eat them. Maybe
18 A8 Yes, it is. In the Arctic, the sun does not set in summer. In winter, the sun does not rise, Q9 How hot does it get in the Arctic in summer? 19 and it is nighttime all the day. (See p. 9) The answer is on the next page 7 Japan’s Arctic Research
Space observation Ecosystem observation What exists between space and the Earth? Does climate change also aff ect ecosystems?
EISCAT Svalbard Radar Glacial retreat area occurring at Ny-Ålesund
In the region from about 60 km to NIPR has joined the international con- How does global warming aff ect amounts of phytoplankton. Phy- 1,000 km above the ground, there ex- sortium that operates this facility rep- terrestrial ecosystems? Ever since toplankton are very tiny organ- pands an atmospheric region that resenting Japan’s research community we opened a research observatory isms, but they are very important forms the boundary between the Earth to precisely study the changes of the in Ny-Ålesund, Japan has been mon- for polar ecosystems. Since the and space. This region is called the mid- upper atmosphere. itoring these changes. For example, ocean is a massive reservoir for dle and upper atmosphere. The middle in places where glaciers have melt- carbon dioxide, we should pay and upper atmosphere is an invisible ed and the ground has been ex- close attention to the ocean Aurora appears in shield that protects life on the Earth posed, moss and fl owering herbs continuously. the ionosphere and from strong solar radiations. It also thermosphere, rang- appear, grow, and bloom. When plays an important role in the large- ing from 100 km to this happens, animals come to scale atmospheric circulation and in 500 km above the these places to feed. How has this ground. We under- climate change. Together with research stand a lot about how been aff ected by warming? We institutes both in Japan and overseas, aurora is formed from have understood many interesting researchers are working to observe and experiments using facts over years of research. the aurora simulator. You can have a look study the upper atmosphere. It’s key at the aurora simulator at the occasion of In the ocean, we use satellites and facility is the EISCAT radar . Open house of NIPR. ships to study changes in the
20 A9 In Alaska and Siberia, it is not unusual for the temperature to be above 30°C in Q10 What is the population of Greenland? 21 summer. The answer is on the next page 7 Japan’s Arctic Research 8 Future of Arctic Research
Geomorphological observation Central for Mysteries of the Arctic landforms Japan’s Arctic research
Are you more interested in the Arctic now? You now understand that the Arctic is an invaluable natural en- vironment and that it faces many problems. The truth is that we do not have a lot of time to fi x these chal- lenges. Scientists predict that almost all the Arctic sea ice will disappear in summer by 2040. To make sure this does not happen, Japan is promoting as a nation to advance polar research. At the center of this activity, the NIPR is working on collaborat- ing with scientists from diff erent fi elds to consider deeply the future of our globe and to take proper actions. We hope you will join us!
Greenland geomorphological survey
At the bottom of the Arctic Ocean, On land, we are studying coastal there is an undersea mountain range and glacial landforms in Greenland, called the Gakkel Ridge. The fl oor where the ice has started melting of the Arctic Ocean is made up of so quickly that causes the change plates that created this ridge. of sea level. We are looking at past These plates are still moving, but changes in terrain to predict how so slowly that we cannot see it’s the ice will melt in the future. motion. Although only few people has studied this ridge, we know that hot water outbreaks and that creatures are active there. This place is very interesting because it teach- Let’s think es us about the interior of the about the changes Earth, and some groups have been in the Arctic studying it with unmanned under- environment water vehicles. together.
22 A10 It is about 56,000 people, even though the land is about six times larger than Japan. 23 2103G1000（1）