Overview of Environmental and Hydrogeologic Conditions at Barrow, Alaska
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Recent Declines in Warming and Vegetation Greening Trends Over Pan-Arctic Tundra
Remote Sens. 2013, 5, 4229-4254; doi:10.3390/rs5094229 OPEN ACCESS Remote Sensing ISSN 2072-4292 www.mdpi.com/journal/remotesensing Article Recent Declines in Warming and Vegetation Greening Trends over Pan-Arctic Tundra Uma S. Bhatt 1,*, Donald A. Walker 2, Martha K. Raynolds 2, Peter A. Bieniek 1,3, Howard E. Epstein 4, Josefino C. Comiso 5, Jorge E. Pinzon 6, Compton J. Tucker 6 and Igor V. Polyakov 3 1 Geophysical Institute, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, College of Natural Science and Mathematics, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 903 Koyukuk Dr., Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA; E-Mail: [email protected] 2 Institute of Arctic Biology, Department of Biology and Wildlife, College of Natural Science and Mathematics, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, P.O. Box 757000, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA; E-Mails: [email protected] (D.A.W.); [email protected] (M.K.R.) 3 International Arctic Research Center, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, College of Natural Science and Mathematics, 930 Koyukuk Dr., Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA; E-Mail: [email protected] 4 Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia, 291 McCormick Rd., Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA; E-Mail: [email protected] 5 Cryospheric Sciences Branch, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 614.1, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA; E-Mail: [email protected] 6 Biospheric Science Branch, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 614.1, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA; E-Mails: [email protected] (J.E.P.); [email protected] (C.J.T.) * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: [email protected]; Tel.: +1-907-474-2662; Fax: +1-907-474-2473. -
Northwest Passage Trail
Nunavut Parks & Special Places – Editorial Series January, 2008 NorThwesT Passage Trail The small Nunavut community of Gjoa Haven Back in the late eighteenth and nineteenth is located on King William Island, right on the centuries, a huge effort was put forth by historic Northwest Passage and home to the Europeans to locate a passage across northern Northwest Passage Trail which meanders within North America to connect the European nations the community, all within easy walking distance with the riches of the Orient. From the east, many from the hotel. A series of signs, a printed guide, ships entered Hudson Bay and Lancaster Sound, and a display of artifacts in the hamlet office mapping the routes and seeking a way through interpret the local Inuit culture, exploration of the ice-choked waters and narrow channels to the the Northwest Passage, and the story of the Gjoa Pacific Ocean and straight sailing to the oriental and Roald Amundsen. It is quite an experience lands and profitable trading. The only other to walk the shores of history here, learning of routes were perilous – rounding Cape Horn at the exploration of the North, and the lives of the the southern tip of South America or the Cape of people who helped the explorers. Good Hope at the southern end of Africa. As a result, many expeditions were launched to seek a passage through the arctic archipelago. Aussi disponible en français xgw8Ns7uJ5 wk5tg5 Pilaaktut Inuinaqtut ᑲᔾᔮᓇᖅᑐᖅ k a t j a q n a a q listen to the land aliannaktuk en osmose avec la terre Through the efforts of the Royal Navy, and WANDER THROUGH HISTORY Lady Jane Franklin, John Franklin’s wife, At the Northwest Passage Trail in the at least 29 expeditions were launched to community of Gjoa Haven, visitors can, seek Franklin and his men, or evidence of through illustrations and text on interpretive their fate. -
Spanning the Bering Strait
National Park service shared beringian heritage Program U.s. Department of the interior Spanning the Bering Strait 20 years of collaborative research s U b s i s t e N c e h UN t e r i N c h UK o t K a , r U s s i a i N t r o DU c t i o N cean Arctic O N O R T H E L A Chu a e S T kchi Se n R A LASKA a SIBERIA er U C h v u B R i k R S otk S a e i a P v I A en r e m in i n USA r y s M l u l g o a a S K S ew la c ard Peninsu r k t e e r Riv n a n z uko i i Y e t R i v e r ering Sea la B u s n i CANADA n e P la u a ns k ni t Pe a ka N h las c A lf of Alaska m u a G K W E 0 250 500 Pacific Ocean miles S USA The Shared Beringian Heritage Program has been fortunate enough to have had a sustained source of funds to support 3 community based projects and research since its creation in 1991. Presidents George H.W. Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev expanded their cooperation in the field of environmental protection and the study of global change to create the Shared Beringian Heritage Program. -
By Sina Muster Et Al
Reply to Reviewer #1 Interactive comments on “PeRL: A Circum-Arctic Permafrost Region Pond and Lake Database” by Sina Muster et al. We sincerely thank the reviewer for his/her positive and constructive comments on our manuscript. Our responses to the reviewer’s comments are highlighted in bold. Changes done in the manuscript are marked in italic. Page and line numbers refer to the marked-up manuscript version which is attached to this review as well as the new supplement. Anonymous Referee #1 Received and published: 10 February 2017 This manuscript describes a database (PeRL) that maps ponds and lakes for the Circum-Arctic Permafrost region. The authors provide detailed information on the generation of the database, how images were processed and classified. Additionally, they discuss classification accuracy and uncertainty as well as the potential use of the database. This database is a very valuable contribution to the scientific community as well as potential stakeholders from outside science. As the authors describe, classifying the area of waterbodies in the Arctic is crucial, as it impacts permafrost degradation and carbon fluxes of permafrost lowlands. The introduction is very well written and delivers the right message on why this database is useful. The second chapter defines ponds and lakes, which I thought was really useful, since I usually don’t think about lakes and ponds, and chapter three explained the study areas. Up to this point I could easily follow the manuscript and I don’t have any major comments. Chapter four deals with the generation of the PeRL database and because image processing or classification are not my expertise I cannot comment much on the correctness of the methods. -
Climate Change in the North
Climate Change in the North 2018 Manitoba Envirothon Study Guide The Arctic is still a cold place, but it is warming faster than any other region on Earth. Over the past => years, the Arctic’s temperature has risen by more than twice the global average. Increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are the primary underlying cause: the heat trapped by greenhouse gases triggers a cascade of feedbacks that collectively amplify Arctic warming. 4 Snow, Water, Ice and Permafrost in the Arctic (SWIPA) 2017 and future consequences of Arctic climate change and its effects on Arctic snow, water, ice and permafrost conditions. Cryospheric change and variability are fundamentally linked to climate change and climate variability. Global climate models use mathematical formulations of atmospheric behavior to simulate climate. Tese models reproduce historical climate variations with considerable success, and so are used to simulate future climate under various scenarios of greenhouse gas emissions. Tese simulations of possible future conditions are driven by different atmospheric greenhouse gas concentration trajectories (known as Representative Concentration Pathways or RCPs), which provide a means to examine how future climate could be affected by differences in climate policy scenarios and greenhouse gas emissions. Tese scenarios of future atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations used to drive global climate models have been employed to estimate future trajectories in Arctic temperature and their impacts on major components of the Arctic cryosphere (snow, permafrost, sea ice, land-based ice), establishing pan-Arctic projections. SWIPA 2017 has relied on the global scenarios and climate projections of the Fifth IPCC Assessment Report (IPCC, 2013, 2014a,b) as the ‘climate Figure 1.1 Te Arctic, as defined by AMAP and as used in this assessment. -
MODERN PROCESSES and PLEISTOCENE LEGACIES by Louise M. Farquharson, Msc. a Dissertation Submitted In
ARCTIC LANDSCAPE DYNAMICS: MODERN PROCESSES AND PLEISTOCENE LEGACIES By Louise M. Farquharson, MSc. A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Geology University of Alaska Fairbanks December 2017 APPROVED: Daniel Mann, Committee Chair Vladimir Romanovsky, Committee Co-Chair Guido Grosse, Committee Member Benjamin M. Jones, Committee Member David Swanson, Committee Member Paul McCarthy, Chair Department of Geoscience Paul Layer, Dean College of Natural Science and Mathematics Michael Castellini, Dean of the Graduate School Abstract The Arctic Cryosphere (AC) is sensitive to rapid climate changes. The response of glaciers, sea ice, and permafrost-influenced landscapes to warming is complicated by polar amplification of global climate change which is caused by the presence of thresholds in the physics of energy exchange occurring around the freezing point of water. To better understand how the AC has and will respond to warming climate, we need to understand landscape processes that are operating and interacting across a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. This dissertation presents three studies from Arctic Alaska that use a combination of field surveys, sedimentology, geochronology and remote sensing to explore various AC responses to climate change in the distant and recent past. The following questions are addressed in this dissertation: 1) How does the AC respond to large scale fluctuations in climate on Pleistocene glacial-interglacial time scales? 2) How do legacy effects relating to Pleistocene landscape dynamics inform us about the vulnerability of modern land systems to current climate warming? and 3) How are coastal systems influenced by permafrost and buffered from wave energy by seasonal sea ice currently responding to ongoing climate change? Chapter 2 uses sedimentology and geochronology to document the extent and timing of ice-sheet glaciation in the Arctic Basin during the penultimate interglacial period. -
Canadian-Geography-And-Mapping
Canadian Geography and Mapping Skills Encouraging Topic Interest Keep a class collection of maps showing population, climate, topography, etc., to help students develop an understanding and appreciation of different types of maps. The Government of Canada website (http://gc.ca/aboutcanada-ausujetcanada/maps-cartes/maps-cartes-eng.html) and tourism bureaus are great sources of free maps. Encourage students to add to the class collection by bringing in a variety of maps for roads, tourist attractions, neighbourhoods, parks, amusement parks, floor plans, etc. Also have atlases and other resources handy for further study. Vocabulary List Record new and theme-related vocabulary on chart paper for students’ reference during activities. Classify the word list into categories such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, or physical features. Blackline Masters and Graphic Organizers Use the blackline masters and graphic organizers to present information, reinforce important concepts, and to extend opportunities for learning. The graphic organizers will help students focus on important ideas, or make direct comparisons. Outline Maps Use the maps found in this teacher resource to teach the names and locations of physical regions, provinces, territories, cities, physical features, and other points of interest. Encourage students to use the maps from this book and their own information reports to create an atlas of Canada. Learning Logs Keeping a learning log is an effective way for students to organize thoughts and ideas about concepts presented. Student learning logs also provide insight on what follow-up activities are needed to review and to clarify concepts learned. Learning logs can include the following types of entries: • Teacher prompts • Connections discovered • Students’ personal reflections • Labelled diagrams and pictures • Questions that arise • Definitions for new vocabulary Rubrics and Checklists Use the rubrics and checklists in this book to assess students’ learning. -
Arctic Report Card 2018 Effects of Persistent Arctic Warming Continue to Mount
Arctic Report Card 2018 Effects of persistent Arctic warming continue to mount 2018 Headlines 2018 Headlines Video Executive Summary Effects of persistent Arctic warming continue Contacts to mount Vital Signs Surface Air Temperature Continued warming of the Arctic atmosphere Terrestrial Snow Cover and ocean are driving broad change in the Greenland Ice Sheet environmental system in predicted and, also, Sea Ice unexpected ways. New emerging threats Sea Surface Temperature are taking form and highlighting the level of Arctic Ocean Primary uncertainty in the breadth of environmental Productivity change that is to come. Tundra Greenness Other Indicators River Discharge Highlights Lake Ice • Surface air temperatures in the Arctic continued to warm at twice the rate relative to the rest of the globe. Arc- Migratory Tundra Caribou tic air temperatures for the past five years (2014-18) have exceeded all previous records since 1900. and Wild Reindeer • In the terrestrial system, atmospheric warming continued to drive broad, long-term trends in declining Frostbites terrestrial snow cover, melting of theGreenland Ice Sheet and lake ice, increasing summertime Arcticriver discharge, and the expansion and greening of Arctic tundravegetation . Clarity and Clouds • Despite increase of vegetation available for grazing, herd populations of caribou and wild reindeer across the Harmful Algal Blooms in the Arctic tundra have declined by nearly 50% over the last two decades. Arctic • In 2018 Arcticsea ice remained younger, thinner, and covered less area than in the past. The 12 lowest extents in Microplastics in the Marine the satellite record have occurred in the last 12 years. Realms of the Arctic • Pan-Arctic observations suggest a long-term decline in coastal landfast sea ice since measurements began in the Landfast Sea Ice in a 1970s, affecting this important platform for hunting, traveling, and coastal protection for local communities. -
Native Contributions to Arctic Science at Barrow, Alaska
ARCTIC VOL. 50, NO. 3 (SEPTEMBER 1997) P. 277–288 InfoNorth Native Contributions to Arctic Science at Barrow, Alaska By Karen Brewster INTRODUCTION N August 1997, the Naval Arctic Research Laboratory (NARL) in Barrow, Alaska celebrated its 50th anniver- Isary. The Lab, originally called the Arctic Research Laboratory (ARL) but renamed in 1967, is renowned for its accomplishments and contributions to the scientific under- standing of the Arctic. Amidst the glory, however, there is little mention of the Iñupiat (North Alaskan Eskimo) role in this scientific program. Local residents’ knowledge of the arctic environment contributed to the success of both individual scientists and the facility overall. Without Native assistance, The Naval Arctic Research Laboratory, Barrow, Alaska, circa 1950s. James much of the work at NARL could not have been accom- Ahyakak Collection, North Slope Borough, Iñupiat History, Language and plished. These men and women deserve to be recognized. Culture Commission, Barrow, Alaska. Few people are aware of the Iñupiat who worked on scientific projects at NARL. I believe the scientific commu- nity has been negligent in not making this better known. Barrow is located at the northernmost point in Alaska Therefore, I will discuss in general Iñupiat assistance to arctic along the Arctic Ocean. The Iñupiat lifestyle in the 1940s, like science from the 1940s to the present, and describe a few that of their ancestors, was dominated by whaling, hunting, specific cases. More Iñupiat worked at NARL than will be fishing, and trapping. It was still a harsh life with few mentioned here, and they deserve equal recognition. Many amenities. -
Nunavut, a Creation Story. the Inuit Movement in Canada's Newest Territory
Syracuse University SURFACE Dissertations - ALL SURFACE August 2019 Nunavut, A Creation Story. The Inuit Movement in Canada's Newest Territory Holly Ann Dobbins Syracuse University Follow this and additional works at: https://surface.syr.edu/etd Part of the Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Dobbins, Holly Ann, "Nunavut, A Creation Story. The Inuit Movement in Canada's Newest Territory" (2019). Dissertations - ALL. 1097. https://surface.syr.edu/etd/1097 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the SURFACE at SURFACE. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations - ALL by an authorized administrator of SURFACE. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Abstract This is a qualitative study of the 30-year land claim negotiation process (1963-1993) through which the Inuit of Nunavut transformed themselves from being a marginalized population with few recognized rights in Canada to becoming the overwhelmingly dominant voice in a territorial government, with strong rights over their own lands and waters. In this study I view this negotiation process and all of the activities that supported it as part of a larger Inuit Movement and argue that it meets the criteria for a social movement. This study bridges several social sciences disciplines, including newly emerging areas of study in social movements, conflict resolution, and Indigenous studies, and offers important lessons about the conditions for a successful mobilization for Indigenous rights in other states. In this research I examine the extent to which Inuit values and worldviews directly informed movement emergence and continuity, leadership development and, to some extent, negotiation strategies. -
Observations of Bowhead Whales During Spring Migration
bowhead whales. The Naval Arctic Re Larry Rockhill, Field Coordinator, phological variant of the bowhead whale, Sa /aena mysticetus. Mar. Fish. Rev. 42(9-10): search Laboratory at Barrow, Alaska, University of Alaska, X-CEO Program, 70-73. gave me institutional and individual Rural Education Development Center, Eschricht, D., and J. Reinhardt. 1866. On the support. The National Marine Mammal Barrow, Alaska, provided the photo Greenland right-whale (Sa/aena mysticetus, Linn.), with special reference to its geograph Laboratory, NMFS, Seattle, Wash., graph of the 37.5 Col long fetus from ical distribution and migrations in times past supplied data on fetuses and provided Wainwright, Alaska. and present, and to its external and internal financial support, as did the Arctic In Sponsored in 1973 by the National characteristics. In W. H. Flower (editor), Recent memoirs on the Cetacea, p. 1-150. stitute of North America, Calgary, Al Marine Fisheries Service and in prior Robert Hardwicke, Lond. berta, Canada, and the Office of Naval years (1961-72) by the Arctic Institute Gray, R. W. 1929. Breeding habits of the Greenland whale. Nature (Lond.) 123:564 Research, Washington, D.C. I also of North America with the financial 565 thank James Mead, Jane Small, and support of the Office of Naval Research Home, E. 1812. An account of some peculiarities David Schmidt of the National Museum under contract N00014-70-A-0219 of the structure of the organ of hearing in the Salaena mysticetus of Linnaeus. Philos of Natural History, Smithsonian Institu 0001 (subcontract ONR 367). Trans. R. Soc. Lond., Pt. 1,1812:83-89 tion, Washington, D. -
Counterclockwise Rotation of the Arctic Alaska Plate: Best Available Model Or Untenable Hypothesis for the Opening of the Amerasia Basin
Polarforschung 68: 247 - 255, 1998 (erschienen 2000) Counterclockwise Rotation of the Arctic Alaska Plate: Best Available Model or Untenable Hypothesis for the Opening of the Amerasia Basin By Ashton F. Ernbry' THEME 13: The Amerasian Basin and Margins: New Devel discussed by LAWVER & SCOTESE (1990) in a comprehensive opments and Results review of the subject. Summary: For the past thirty years the most widely aeeepted model for the As discussed by LAWVER & SCOTESE (1990), most of the mod opening of Amerasia Basin of the Aretie Oeean has been that the basin openecl els have little support and some are clearly negated by the cur by eountereloekwise rotation of northern Alaska and acljaeent Russia (Aretie Alaska plate) away frorn the Canadian Aretie Arehipelago about a pole in the rent geologieal and geophysical data bases from the Amerasia Maekenzie Delta region. Reeently LANE (1997) has ealled this modcl into ques Basin and its margins. At the time when the LAWVER & SCOTESE tion. Thus it is worth reviewing the main data and arguments for and against the (1990) review was published only the counterclockwise model model to determine if indeed it is untenable as claimed by Lane, 01' is still the seemed to provide a reasonable explanation of available best available model. paleornagnetic, paleogeographic and tectonic data from the The main evidenee in favour of the modcl includes the alignment of diverse margins and geophysical data from the basin (Grantz et al. 1979, geologieal lineaments ancl the eoineiclenee of Alaskan, Valanginian paleo HALGEDAHL & JARRARD 1987, EMBRY 1990, LAWVER et al. 1990). magnetie poles with the eratonie one following plate restoration employing the rotation model.