DOCSLIB.ORG

Primer on Polar Warming and Implications for Global Climate Change

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Primer on Polar Warming and Implications for Global Climate Change Primer on Polar Warming and Implications for Global Climate Change How fast action can slow the rate of global warming and protect the Arctic and Antarctic from devastating climate change impacts Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development IGSD Working Paper: 13 May 2019 Lead Authors Kristin Leigh Campbell & Durwood Zaelke Contributors Gabrielle B. Dreyfus, Stephen O. Andersen, Tad Ferris, Nancy J. Sherman, Korey Silverman- Roati, & Megan Matthews Acknowledgements We would like to thank our outside reviewers for their valuable contributions. About IGSD IGSD’s mission is to promote just and sustainable societies and to protect the environment by advancing the understanding, development, and implementation of effective and accountable systems of governance for sustainable development. Beginning in 2005, IGSD embarked on a “fast-action” climate mitigation campaign that will result in significant reductions of greenhouse gas emissions and will limit temperature increase and other climate impacts in the near term. The focus is primarily on strategies to reduce non- CO2 climate pollutants as a complement to cuts in CO2, which is responsible for more than half of all warming. It is essential to reduce both non-CO2 pollutants and CO2. Neither alone is sufficient to limit the increase in global temperature to a safe level. A three-level strategy of achieving carbon neutrality, slowing the rate of warming with the reduction of non-CO2 climate pollutants, and removing carbon from the atmosphere are key to climate stability. IGSD’s fast-action strategies include reducing emissions of short-lived climate pollutants—black carbon, methane, tropospheric ozone, and hydrofluorocarbons. They also include measures to promote energy efficiency of air conditioners and other appliances, and measures to capture, reuse, and store CO2 after it is emitted, including biosequestration and mineralization strategies that turn carbon dioxide into stable forms for long-term storage while enhancing sustainable food supply. Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development This Primer is available on IGSD’s website (http://www.igsd.org/primers/polar/) with active links to the references and periodic updates. IGSD’s Primer on HFCs and Primer on Short-Lived Climate Pollutants are also available on IGSD’s website. Unless otherwise indicated, all content in the Primer carries a Creative Commons license, which permits non-commercial re-use of the content with proper attribution. Copyright © 2019 Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development. 2 Preamble This Primer covers the present and future impacts of climate change on the Polar Regions and what solutions and resources are available to slow the progression of climate change. The Primer discusses observations of recent warming as well as tipping elements and impending tipping points particular to the Polar Regions before a thorough discussion of the present observations and future projections for Arctic sea ice, permafrost, and the ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica. The Primer also relates potential solutions to combat climate change, especially in the crucial near-term given the proximity to some tipping points. Furthermore, the Primer includes discussion of existing laws and policies as well as organizations and collectives working to protect the vulnerable Polar Regions. 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction 6 2. Recent Warming, Proximity to 1.5 ºC, and Arctic Amplification 9 Recent warming observations 9 Proximity to 1.5 ºC and timing of reaching 1.5 ºC and 2 ºC 10 Arctic amplification 10 Unmasked warming with reduction of aerosols 11 3. Self-Reinforcing Feedbacks and Tipping Elements 12 Understanding self-reinforcing feedbacks and critical thresholds of tipping elements 12 Timing and tipping points 14 4. Arctic Sea Ice 15 Reduced Arctic sea ice and self-reinforcing warming 15 Recent observations and climatology of the extent of Arctic sea ice 16 Thickness of sea ice 18 Projections for the future and the likelihood of ice-free Arctic 20 Cumulative emissions and aerosols contributing to Arctic warming and ice loss 21 Decreased Arctic sea ice and more cyclones and larger ocean waves 21 Teleconnections—what happens in the Arctic does not stay in the Arctic 21 Reversibility with cooler temperatures or geoengineering 22 5. Permafrost 24 Defining the permafrost-carbon feedback 24 Current state of permafrost 25 Palaeoclimate information on permafrost 27 Projections for permafrost 27 Costs and non-climate impacts from permafrost thaw 28 6. Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheets 29 Melting ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica lead to sea-level rise 29 Greenland 33 Recent observations 33 Feedbacks and accelerated melting in Greenland 34 Greenland’s palaeoclimate and associated sea-level rise 35 Antarctica 36 West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) 36 East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS) 37 Sea-level rise contribution from Antarctica 38 Antarctic sea ice 39 7. Long- and Short-term Priorities and Solutions 40 Priorities 40 Securing long-term climate stability through three-lever approach 40 Achieving near-term success through SLCP mitigation 41 Carbon neutrality must be achieved by mid-century 41 Avoiding catastrophic climate threat with carbon dioxide removal (CDR) 41 Solutions for reducing SLCPs 42 Mitigation measures to reduce SLCPs 42 Co-benefits from SLCP reductions 44 4 SLCPs directly impacting the Arctic 45 8. Opportunities for Strengthening SLCP Mitigation 47 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement 47 International action on HFCs through the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol 49 SLCPs managed through the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution 50 Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) 50 International Maritime Organization (IMO) 51 International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) 52 Arctic Council 53 National and subnational laws regarding SLCP mitigation 54 U.S. Climate Alliance 54 Intersection of SLCP mitigation with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 55 9. Conclusion 56 Appendix I: List of acronyms and abbreviations 57 Endnotes 58 Figures and Tables Fig. 1: Arctic Region 6 Fig. 2: Antarctic Region 7 Fig. 3: Tipping elements and temperature ranges of their tipping points 12 Fig. 4: Breakdown of tipping points within temperature ranges 13 Fig. 5: Change in temperature (red), sea ice (black), & albedo (green) 15 Fig. 6. Arctic sea ice extent for March and September from 1979 to 2018 16 Fig. 7: Arctic sea ice extent for March 2018 and September 2018 17 Fig. 8: Monthly anomalies of Arctic sea ice extent from November 1978 to July 2018 18 Fig. 9: Quantity and extent of old and young Arctic sea ice 19 Fig. 10: Schematic diagram of permafrost feedback mechanism of deepening active layer 24 Fig. 11: Soil carbon content in the Arctic Region 26 Fig. 12: Sources of sea-level contribution 30 Fig. 13: Sea-level rise for 1.5 and 2 ºC 31 Fig. 14: Sea-level rise contributions from Greenland and Antarctica 32 Fig. 15: Geography of Antarctica—glaciers, ice shelves, ice streams, and basins 36 st Fig. 16: Prediction reductions in 21 century sea-level rise due to SLCP and CO2 mitigation 45 Fig. 17: Probable tipping points in the range of the Paris Agreement goal 48 Table 1: Global average warming in 2018 and 2016 (warmest year on record) 9 5 INTRODUCTION This Primer will focus on the impact climate change is already having on the Polar Regions, the projections for what will happen in the future, and what can be done about it. The Arctic is warming at twice the global rate,1 but both poles are considered in this Primer because they are subject to a number of globally consequential climate tipping elements2—for which passing a critical threshold (tipping point) unleashes significant and often unstoppable change—and self- reinforcing climate feedbacks, the triggering of which can permanently alter the state of the global and regional climate through a domino-like effect.3 Self-reinforcing feedbacks and tipping elements of the Polar Regions include: declining Arctic sea ice; thawing permafrost; and melting ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica.4 Another feedback—the poleward migration of mid- latitude clouds—plays a role in Arctic amplification, exacerbating warming and bringing the region closer to tipping points.5 Fig. 1: Arctic Region This map of the Arctic was created by State Department geographers as part of the U.S. Chairmanship of the Arctic Council. (U.S. Department of State, Map of the Arctic Region (last accessed 23 May 2018).) 6 The Antarctic region is comprised of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean that surrounds the continent. Antarctica is divided into two parts: West Antarctica and the much larger East Antarctica. West Antarctica is home to the Antarctic Peninsula and also many ice shelves. See Figure 2. Fig. 2: Antarctic Region This map shows the major geographical features on the Antarctic continent and the USA and UK research stations, to accompany the Landsat Image Mosaic of Antarctica (LIMA). For information about LIMA and to access the imagery, go to http://lima.usgs.gov. (U.S. Geological Survey, Antarctic Overview Map (last accessed 23 May 2018).) 7 Because the poles are routinely covered in snow and ice, they are part of the global cryosphere and are crucial to the climate system.6 These frozen areas of the planet are particularly vulnerable to the rising temperatures that induce melting. The Arctic Ocean is covered in sea ice, and the Arctic region also includes the Greenland ice sheet and large areas of permafrost.7 At the other pole, Antarctica
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Risks of Large-Scale Biosequestration in the Context of Carbon Dioxide Removal Globalforestcoalition.Org/Risks-Of-Large-Scale-Biosequestration
    Read the full working paper: The risks of large-scale biosequestration in the context of Carbon Dioxide Removal globalforestcoalition.org/risks-of-large-scale-biosequestration Background photo: Ben Beiske/Flickr The Paris Agreement and support for The negative ecological and social Governance is key! bioenergy and monoculture tree Plantations often impacts of monoculture tree In principle, addressing climate change through biosequestration requires multi-scale replace natural forests, such as governance options that succeed in translating a global environmental policy objective into local plantations this palm oil plantation in Peru. plantations action. But global actors like transnational corporations, international financial institutions and Mathias Rittgerott/Rainforest Rescue powerful, hegemonic governments have far more political and economic power than local The Paris Agreement has set an ambitious target If implemented at the scales envisaged, both BECCS and afforestation rightsholder groups like women and Indigenous Peoples. These global actors have an economic of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C. will require vast areas of land for the establishment of industrial interest in relatively cheap or even commercially profitable forms of biosequestration, and large- But the explicit reference to achieving "a monoculture tree plantations. One estimate suggests that using scale monocultures of trees and other crops tend to qualify well in that respect. These actors will balance between anthropogenic emissions BECCS to limit the global temperature rise to 2°C would require crops subsequently be inclined to use arguments that align their economic interests with a discourse of by sources and removals by sinks of to be planted solely for the purpose of CO2 removal on up to 580 global biosphere stewardship, claiming large-scale biosequestration is one of the few remaining greenhouse gases" has put a strong focus million hectares of land, equivalent to around one-third of the current options to effectively address climate change.
    [Show full text]
  • Protect Us from Climate Change
    INTRODUCTION This project documents both the existing value and potential of New England’s working forest lands: Value – not only in terms of business opportunities, jobs and income – but also nonfinancial values, such as enhanced wildlife populations, recreation opportunities and a healthful environment. This project of the New England Forestry Foundation (NEFF) is aimed at enhancing the contribution the region’s forests can make to sustainability, and is intended to complement other efforts aimed at not only conserving New England’s forests, but also enhancing New England’s agriculture and fisheries. New England’s forests have sustained the six-state region since colonial settlement. They have provided the wood for buildings, fuel to heat them, the fiber for papermaking, the lumber for ships, furniture, boxes and barrels and so much more. As Arizona is defined by its desert landscapes and Iowa by its farms, New England is defined by its forests. These forests provide a wide range of products beyond timber, including maple syrup; balsam fir tips for holiday decorations; paper birch bark for crafts; edibles such as berries, mushrooms and fiddleheads; and curatives made from medicinal plants. They are the home to diverse and abundant wildlife. They are the backdrop for hunting, fishing, hiking, skiing and camping. They also provide other important benefits that we take for granted, including clean air, potable water and carbon storage. In addition to tangible benefits that can be measured in board feet or cords, or miles of hiking trails, forests have been shown to be important to both physical and mental health. Beyond their existing contributions, New England’s forests have unrealized potential.
    [Show full text]
  • THE POLAR THAW: an Analysis of the Impacts of Climate Change on the Environment and Geopolitics of the Arctic Polar Region
    THE POLAR THAW: An Analysis Of The Impacts Of Climate Change On The Environment And Geopolitics Of The Arctic Polar Region Alexandra Stoicof Spring 2008 ________________________________________________________________________ SIT Geneva: International Studies, Organizations and Social Justice Adrian Herrera, Arctic Power Alexandre Lambert, School for International Training The George Washington University International Affairs and Geography Stoicof 2 Copyright permission The author hereby does grant the School for International Training the permission to electronically reproduce and transmit this document to the students, alumni, staff, and faculty of the World Learning Community. The author hereby does grant the School for International Training the permission to electronically reproduce and transmit this document to the public via the World Wide Web or other electronic means. The author hereby does grant the School for International Training the permission to reproduce this document to the public in print format. Student (please print name): Alexandra Stoicof Signature: Date: Abstract The issues facing the Arctic region today are of relatively new importance on the agendas of environmentalists, lawyers, and national governments. Global warming is affecting the polar regions at a faster pace than the rest of the world, and is drastically changing the ecosystem and viability of the indigenous groups who depend on the environment of the tundra. The forced adaptation of the natives has lead to convictions of human rights and debates over the accountability of the world to affected communities. The retreat of Arctic sea-ice also exposes another area of controversy; the claims to the resources and passageways that are becoming increasingly accessible. The beginnings of an international race to claim sea territory has lead to interpretations of the law of the sea.
    [Show full text]
  • Arctic Climate Change Implications for U.S
    Arctic Climate Change Implications for U.S. National Security Perspective - Laura Leddy September 2020 i BOARD OF DIRECTORS The Honorable Gary Hart, Chairman Emeritus Scott Gilbert Senator Hart served the State of Colorado in the U.S. Senate Scott Gilbert is a Partner of Gilbert LLP and Managing and was a member of the Committee on Armed Services Director of Reneo LLC. during his tenure. Vice Admiral Lee Gunn, USN (Ret.) Governor Christine Todd Whitman, Chairperson Vice Admiral Gunn is Vice Chairman of the CNA Military Christine Todd Whitman is the President of the Whitman Advisory Board, Former Inspector General of the Department Strategy Group, a consulting firm that specializes in energy of the Navy, and Former President of the Institute of Public and environmental issues. Research at the CNA Corporation. The Honorable Chuck Hagel Brigadier General Stephen A. Cheney, USMC (Ret.), Chuck Hagel served as the 24th U.S. Secretary of Defense and President of ASP served two terms in the United States Senate (1997-2009). Hagel Brigadier General Cheney is the President of ASP. was a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations; Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs; and Intelligence Committees. Matthew Bergman Lieutenant General Claudia Kennedy, USA (Ret.) Matthew Bergman is an attorney, philanthropist and Lieutenant General Kennedy was the first woman entrepreneur based in Seattle. He serves as a Trustee of Reed to achieve the rank of three-star general in the United States College on the Board of Visitors of Lewis & Clark Law Army. School. Ambassador Jeffrey Bleich The Honorable John F. Kerry The Hon.
    [Show full text]
  • A Spatial Evaluation of Arctic Sea Ice and Regional Limitations in CMIP6 Historical Simulations
    1AUGUST 2021 W A T T S E T A L . 6399 A Spatial Evaluation of Arctic Sea Ice and Regional Limitations in CMIP6 Historical Simulations a a a a MATTHEW WATTS, WIESLAW MASLOWSKI, YOUNJOO J. LEE, JACLYN CLEMENT KINNEY, AND b ROBERT OSINSKI a Department of Oceanography, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California b Institute of Oceanology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Sopot, Poland (Manuscript received 29 June 2020, in final form 28 April 2021) ABSTRACT: The Arctic sea ice response to a warming climate is assessed in a subset of models participating in phase 6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6), using several metrics in comparison with satellite observations and results from the Pan-Arctic Ice Ocean Modeling and Assimilation System and the Regional Arctic System Model. Our study examines the historical representation of sea ice extent, volume, and thickness using spatial analysis metrics, such as the integrated ice edge error, Brier score, and spatial probability score. We find that the CMIP6 multimodel mean captures the mean annual cycle and 1979–2014 sea ice trends remarkably well. However, individual models experience a wide range of uncertainty in the spatial distribution of sea ice when compared against satellite measurements and reanalysis data. Our metrics expose common and individual regional model biases, which sea ice temporal analyses alone do not capture. We identify large ice edge and ice thickness errors in Arctic subregions, implying possible model specific limitations in or lack of representation of some key physical processes. We postulate that many of them could be related to the oceanic forcing, especially in the marginal and shelf seas, where seasonal sea ice changes are not adequately simulated.
    [Show full text]
  • Thinking About the Arctic's Future
    By Lawson W. Brigham ThinkingThinking aboutabout thethe Arctic’sArctic’s Future:Future: ScenariosScenarios forfor 20402040 MIKE DUNN / NOAA CLIMATE PROGRAM OFFICE, NABOS 2006 EXPEDITION The warming of the Arctic could These changes have profound con- ing in each of the four scenarios. mean more circumpolar sequences for the indigenous people, • Transportation systems, espe- for all Arctic species and ecosystems, cially increases in marine and air transportation and access for and for any anticipated economic access. the rest of the world—but also development. The Arctic is also un- • Resource development—for ex- an increased likelihood of derstood to be a large storehouse of ample, oil and gas, minerals, fish- yet-untapped natural resources, a eries, freshwater, and forestry. overexploited natural situation that is changing rapidly as • Indigenous Arctic peoples— resources and surges of exploration and development accel- their economic status and the im- environmental refugees. erate in places like the Russian pacts of change on their well-being. Arctic. • Regional environmental degra- The combination of these two ma- dation and environmental protection The Arctic is undergoing an jor forces—intense climate change schemes. extraordinary transformation early and increasing natural-resource de- • The Arctic Council and other co- in the twenty-first century—a trans- velopment—can transform this once- operative arrangements of the Arctic formation that will have global im- remote area into a new region of im- states and those of the regional and pacts. Temperatures in the Arctic are portance to the global economy. To local governments. rising at unprecedented rates and evaluate the potential impacts of • Overall geopolitical issues fac- are likely to continue increasing such rapid changes, we turn to the ing the region, such as the Law of throughout the century.
    [Show full text]
  • The Triggers of the Disaggregation of Voyeykov Ice Shelf (2007), Wilkes Land, East Antarctica, and Its Subsequent Evolution
    Journal of Glaciology The triggers of the disaggregation of Voyeykov Ice Shelf (2007), Wilkes Land, East Antarctica, and its subsequent evolution Article Jennifer F. Arthur1 , Chris R. Stokes1, Stewart S. R. Jamieson1, 1 2 3 Cite this article: Arthur JF, Stokes CR, Bertie W. J. Miles , J. Rachel Carr and Amber A. Leeson Jamieson SSR, Miles BWJ, Carr JR, Leeson AA (2021). The triggers of the disaggregation of 1Department of Geography, Durham University, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK; 2School of Geography, Politics and Voyeykov Ice Shelf (2007), Wilkes Land, East Sociology, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK and 3Lancaster Environment Centre/Data Antarctica, and its subsequent evolution. Science Institute, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4YW, UK Journal of Glaciology 1–19. https://doi.org/ 10.1017/jog.2021.45 Abstract Received: 15 September 2020 The weakening and/or removal of floating ice shelves in Antarctica can induce inland ice flow Revised: 31 March 2021 Accepted: 1 April 2021 acceleration. Numerical modelling suggests these processes will play an important role in Antarctica’s future sea-level contribution, but our understanding of the mechanisms that lead Keywords: to ice tongue/shelf collapse is incomplete and largely based on observations from the Ice/atmosphere interactions; ice/ocean Antarctic Peninsula and West Antarctica. Here, we use remote sensing of structural glaciology interactions; ice-shelf break-up; melt-surface; sea-ice/ice-shelf interactions and ice velocity from 2001 to 2020 and analyse potential ocean-climate forcings to identify mechanisms that triggered the rapid disintegration of ∼2445 km2 of ice mélange and part of Author for correspondence: the Voyeykov Ice Shelf in Wilkes Land, East Antarctica between 27 March and 28 May 2007.
    [Show full text]
  • Some Aspects of the Thermal Energy Exchange on the South Polar Snow Field and Arctic Ice Pack'
    MAY 1961 MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW 173 SOME ASPECTS OF THE THERMAL ENERGY EXCHANGE ON THE SOUTH POLAR SNOW FIELD AND ARCTIC ICE PACK' KIRBY J. HANSON Po!ar Meteorology Research Project, US. Weather Bureau, Washington, D.C. [Manuscript received September 13, 1960; revised February 21, 1961 ] ABSTRACT Solar and terrestrial radiation measurements that were obtained at Amundsen-Scot>t (South Pole) Station and on Ice lsland (Bravo) T-3 are presented for representative summer and winter months. Of the South Polar net radiation loss during April 1958, approximately20 percent of the energy came from the snow and80 percent from the air. The actual atmospheric cooling rate during that period was only about lj6 of the suggested radiative cooling rate. The annual net radiation at various places in Antarctica is presented. During 1058, the South Polar atmos- phere transmitted about 73 percent of the annual extraterrestrial radiation, while at T-3 the Arctic atmosphere transmitted about 56 percent. The albedo of melting sea ice is discussed. Measurements on T-3 during July 1958 indicate that the net radiation is positive on both clear and overcast days but greatest on overcast days. Refreezing of the surface with clear skies, as observed by Untersteiner and Badglep, is discussed. 1. INTRODUCTION Ocean.ThisIsland wasabout by 5 11 miles in size and The elliptical orbit of the earthbrings it about 3 million about 52 meters thick (Crary et al. [2]) in 1953 when it miles farther from the sun at aphelion than at perihelion; drifted near 88' N., looo W. In the years that followed, consequently,during midsummer, about 7 percent less this it drifted southward and in July 1958 was located solar radiation impinges on the top of the Arctic atrnos- 79.5' N., 118' W.
    [Show full text]
  • FINLAND's COUNTRY IMAGE in CHINA Kati Hiltunen University Of
    JUST ANOTHER COLD, FARAWAY NORDIC COUNTRY? – FINLAND’S COUNTRY IMAGE IN CHINA Kati Hiltunen University of Helsinki Faculty of Arts East Asian Studies Master’s Thesis May 2018 Tiedekunta/Osasto – Fakultet/Sektion – Faculty Laitos – Institution – Department Humanistinen tiedekunta Maailman kulttuurien laitos Tekijä – Författare – Author Kati Hiltunen Työn nimi – Arbetets titel – Title Just another cold, faraway Nordic country? – Finland’s country image in China Oppiaine – Läroämne – Subject Itä-Aasian tutkimus Työn laji – Arbetets art – Level Aika – Datum – Month and Sivumäärä– Sidoantal – Number of pages year Pro gradu -tutkielma Toukokuu 2018 77 sivua + 3 liitettä Tiivistelmä – Referat – Abstract Tämä pro gradu -tutkielma käsittelee Suomen maakuvaa Kiinassa. Kiina on vuosina 2016- 2018 yksi Suomen maakuvatyön fokusmaista, ja tutkielman tavoitteena onkin tarkastella maakuvatyön vaikutusten nykytilaa sekä tunnistaa Suomen vahvuuksia Kiinassa. Tutkimus toteutettiin laajana 1004 vastaajan verkkokyselynä kuudessa kiinalaisessa suurkaupungissa. Kysely tehtiin yhteistyössä ulkoministeriön viestintäosaston kanssa. Kyselyn perusjoukkona toimi kiinalainen korkeastikoulutettu työssäkäyvä keskiluokka. Kyselyaineiston analyysissa käytettin sekä kvalitatiivisia että kvantitatiivisia metodeja. Kyselyvastausten analysointia varten maakuva-käsitettä lähestyttiin Kevin Lane Kellerin (1993) muodostaman brändimielikuvien ominaisuuksia käsittelevän teorian mukaisesti. Tätä hyödyntäen kyselyaineistosta mitattiin Suomi-kuvan tietoisuus-, vahvuus-, myönteisyys-
    [Show full text]
  • The Pacific Oyster (Crassostrea Gigas) in the UK: Economic, Legal and Environmental Issues Associated with Its Cultivation, Wild Establishment and Exploitation
    The Pacific Oyster (Crassostrea gigas) in the UK: Economic, Legal and Environmental Issues Associated with its Cultivation, Wild Establishment and Exploitation Report for the Shellfish Association of Great Britain Final: August 2012 The Pacific Oyster (Crassostrea gigas) in the UK: Economic, Legal and Environmental Issues Associated with its Cultivation, Wild Establishment and Exploitation Prepared by: Centre for Conservation Ecology & Environmental Science Bournemouth University Christchurch House Talbot Campus Fern Barrow Poole Dorset BH12 5BB ABP Marine Environmental Research Ltd Quayside Suite Medina Chambers Town Quay Southampton Hampshire SO14 2AQ Jhc research Prospect Cottage Happy Bottom Corfe Mullen Dorset BH21 3DP Plymouth University Centre for Marine and Coastal Policy Research Plymouth University Reynolds Building Drake Circus Plymouth PL4 8AA Suggested Citation: Herbert, R.J.H., Roberts, C., Humphreys, J. and Fletcher, S., 2012. The Pacific Oyster (Crassostrea gigas) in the UK: Economic, Legal and Environmental Issues Associated with its Cultivation, Wild Establishment and Exploitation. Report for the Shellfish Association of Great Britain. (i) The Pacific Oyster (Crassostrea gigas) in the UK: Economic, Legal and Environmental Issues Associated with its Cultivation, Wild Establishment and Exploitation Summary Introduction and Methods 1. This paper presents an independent review of current economic, legal and environmental issues pertaining to the Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) industry in the UK. The study was commissioned by the Shellfish Association of Great Britain (SAGB) and a steering group consisting of industry members and regulatory agencies. The study draws on evidence from comparable temperate regions around the world where Pacific oysters are grown and from UK and European stakeholders, industry, growers and regulators.
    [Show full text]
  • Downloaded 10/01/21 10:31 PM UTC 874 JOURNAL of CLIMATE VOLUME 12
    MARCH 1999 VAVRUS 873 The Response of the Coupled Arctic Sea Ice±Atmosphere System to Orbital Forcing and Ice Motion at 6 kyr and 115 kyr BP STEPHEN J. VAVRUS Center for Climatic Research, Institute for Environmental Studies, University of WisconsinÐMadison, Madison, Wisconsin (Manuscript received 2 February 1998, in ®nal form 11 May 1998) ABSTRACT A coupled atmosphere±mixed layer ocean GCM (GENESIS2) is forced with altered orbital boundary conditions for paleoclimates warmer than modern (6 kyr BP) and colder than modern (115 kyr BP) in the high-latitude Northern Hemisphere. A pair of experiments is run for each paleoclimate, one with sea-ice dynamics and one without, to determine the climatic effect of ice motion and to estimate the climatic changes at these times. At 6 kyr BP the central Arctic ice pack thins by about 0.5 m and the atmosphere warms by 0.7 K in the experiment with dynamic ice. At 115 kyr BP the central Arctic sea ice in the dynamical version thickens by 2±3 m, accompanied bya2Kcooling. The magnitude of these mean-annual simulated changes is smaller than that implied by paleoenvironmental evidence, suggesting that changes in other earth system components are needed to produce realistic simulations. Contrary to previous simulations without atmospheric feedbacks, the sign of the dynamic sea-ice feedback is complicated and depends on the region, the climatic variable, and the sign of the forcing perturbation. Within the central Arctic, sea-ice motion signi®cantly reduces the amount of ice thickening at 115 kyr BP and thinning at 6 kyr BP, thus serving as a strong negative feedback in both pairs of simulations.
    [Show full text]
  • Tidal Modulation of Antarctic Ice Shelf Melting Ole Richter1,2, David E
    Tidal Modulation of Antarctic Ice Shelf Melting Ole Richter1,2, David E. Gwyther1, Matt A. King2, and Benjamin K. Galton-Fenzi3 1Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 129, Hobart, TAS, 7001, Australia. 2Geography & Spatial Sciences, School of Technology, Environments and Design, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, 7001, Australia. 3Australian Antarctic Division, Kingston, TAS, 7050, Australia. Correspondence: Ole Richter ([email protected]) This is a non-peer reviewed preprint submitted to EarthArXiv. This preprint has also been submitted to The Cryosphere for peer review. 1 Abstract. Tides influence basal melting of individual Antarctic ice shelves, but their net impact on Antarctic-wide ice-ocean interaction has yet to be constrained. Here we quantify the impact of tides on ice shelf melting and the continental shelf seas 5 by means of a 4 km resolution circum-Antarctic ocean model. Activating tides in the model increases the total basal mass loss by 57 Gt/yr (4 %), while decreasing continental shelf temperatures by 0.04 ◦C, indicating a slightly more efficient conversion of ocean heat into ice shelf melting. Regional variations can be larger, with melt rate modulations exceeding 500 % and temperatures changing by more than 0.5 ◦C, highlighting the importance of capturing tides for robust modelling of glacier systems and coastal oceans. Tide-induced changes around the Antarctic Peninsula have a dipolar distribution with decreased 10 ocean temperatures and reduced melting towards the Bellingshausen Sea and warming along the continental shelf break on the Weddell Sea side. This warming extends under the Ronne Ice Shelf, which also features one of the highest increases in area-averaged basal melting (150 %) when tides are included.
    [Show full text]