Global warming in the Arctic

Global Warming in Arctic

The Arctic might be the key to understanding and alleviating global warming across the planet. Global warming affects the Arctic at a more rapid and intense rate than other regions of the globe. Also, global warming is causing ice in the Arctic to melt, contributing to rising sea levels everywhere. Scientists should therefore significantly focus their attention and research on the causes and effects of global warming in the Arctic.

One of the reasons global warming affects the Arctic more rapidly than in other parts of the globe is that ice naturally reflects solar radiation back into space. When large stores of Arctic ice melt, less solar radiation is reflected back into space, and more is absorbed by the surrounding earth and seas. Because the earth and seas absorb more solar radiation, global warming is accelerated within the concentrated region of the Arctic. Furthermore, the warmer the earth and seas in the Arctic, the quicker the ice melts, creating a vicious cycle. Global warming occurs faster in the Arctic than in other regions of the globe also because frozen soil traps carbon. When frozen soil melts, carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere.

According to an article in New Scientist, "the northern ice cap is warming at twice the global rate and...this will lead to serious consequences for the planet," (Bhattacharya). Consequences of global warming include threats of wildlife and ecosystems in addition to rising sea levels. Data related the global warming in the Arctic is gleaned from climate modeling projects such as those used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which can project how global warming will progress in the future.