Evidence and Implications of Recent Climate Change in Northern Alaska and Other Arctic Regions

Abstract

The Arctic climate is changing. Permafrost is warming, hydrological processes are changing and biological and social systems are also evolving in response to these changing conditions. Knowing how the structure and function of arctic terrestrial ecosystems are responding to recent and persistent climate change is paramount to understanding the future state of the Earth system and how humans will need to adapt. Our holistic review presents a broad array of evidence that illustrates convincingly; the Arctic is undergoing a system-wide response to an altered climatic state. New extreme and seasonal surface climatic conditions are being experienced, a range of biophysical states and processes influenced by the threshold and phase change of freezing point are being altered, hydrological and biogeochemical cycles are shifting, and more regularly human sub-systems are being affected. Importantly, the patterns, magnitude and mechanisms of change have sometimes been unpredictable or difficult to isolate due to compounding factors. In almost every discipline represented, we show Climatic Change (2005) 72: 251-298 how the biocomplexity of the Arctic system has highlighted and challenged a paucity of integrated scientific knowledge, the lack of sustained observational and experimental time series, and the technical and logistic constraints of researching the Arctic environment. This study supports ongoing efforts to strengthen the interdisciplinarity of arctic system science and improve the coupling of large scale experimental manipulation with sustained time series observations by incorporating and integrating novel technologies, remote sensing and modeling.

Spatio-temporal sensitivity of MODIS land surface temperature anomalies indicates high potential for large-scale land cover change detection in Arctic permafrost landscapes

“…Arctic land surface temperatures are increasing twice as rapidly as global temperatures, as has been indicated by measurements both on the ground (ACIA, 2005;AMAP, 2011;Hinzman, Bettez, & Bolton, 2005;Parry, 2007) and from space (Comiso, 2003(Comiso, , 2006. Land surface warming results in associated changes in land surface properties, especially in areas underlain by permafrost.…”

Vegetation shifts observed in arctic tundra 17 years after fire

“…Although areas such as the Seward Peninsula and Noatak region of Alaska experience burning once every few years, tundra fires in western Alaska and the North Slope are generally smaller and less frequent (Hu et al 2010). However, in the near to intermediate future, global warming trends are likely to reduce vegetation and soil moisture levels and the resistance of tundra to wildfire (Serreze et al 2000, ACIA 2004, Hinzman et al 2005, Mcguire et al 2006. At the end of an uncommonly hot and dry summer in 2007, an anomalously large tundra fire was recorded on the North Slope in an area that had not experienced fire for at least 5000 years (Jones et al 2009, Hu et al 2010.…”

Sámi youth health, the role of climate change, and unique health-seeking behaviour

“…Reindeer herding can be physically dangerous due to the long distances traversed on rough terrain and the risks associated with handling reindeer, and may be linked to mental health problems [2–4]. Altered ice stability can also increase physical and economic stress on reindeer herders as the terrain is no longer capable of sustaining the movement of reindeer herds to new pastures [1,5]. The accelerated movement of industries into the Arctic, together with the accompanying increase of infrastructure and decreased snow cover from climate change, has a negative impact on reindeer herders by reducing available pastures for their animals [5,6].…”

“…The impact of climate change could particularly impact Sámi youth health as they become the next generation of reindeer herders and members of the surrounding Sámi community which, due to geography, is more likely to be strongly impacted by climate change [5]. The Sámi Arctic youth are also in an area with lower social determinants of health which could potentially include a previously unexplored link with the environment and climate change which has been recorded to be very important for the Sámi historically [12].…”