Scientists throw around the words “system” and “coupling” a lot. In general, they both mean that how one thing works is linked to how another thing works, and you can’t understand one without understanding the other (actually you need to understand both things at the same time). Vladimir Alexeev, Director of the Summer School onboard, used a great “science communication” strategy that we have talked about during his presentation on polar amplification (which refers to the fact that warming effects on Earth are stronger in the polar regions than in the rest of the world). He explained the Arctic Climate System using an analogy with everyday objects – a boot, a shoe, a string, and his paycheck (because his paycheck depends on him understanding the Arctic system). If you use shoestrings to attach those objects, there is no way that one will move without affecting the other. Now add an external “forcing,” which in this case is Masha Tsukernik, another instructor onboard, pulling on the green attached string. How does all this apply to the Arctic climate? It is a “system” which includes the ocean, atmosphere, vegetation, sea ice, clouds, soil, life forms, and of course human activity. What affects one thing will affect another.
Here’s a challenge for all of you: what can you see in Miami, or wherever you live around the world, that is “coupled” or that is a “system?” Look at the beach, at the sky, at your school, the park, anything. What are all the parts of that system? Now try to find ONE thing that is not linked somehow to anything else. The Arctic is a system, and that’s why we need such smart people and cool technology to understand it.
Hi Lindsey! I go to Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, and I’m in Mrs. Gilbert’s Physics class. In the news I have been hearing that Polar Bears are becoming more aggressive animals due to all the changes that have happened in arctic environment, have you or one of your colleagues witnessed a polar bear acting aggressive?
Hi Rachel, unfortunately I have not seen a polar bear yet since we’ve been on the ship, but others have – and only from a large distance. So we have not witnessed any aggressive behavior. However, they can be aggressive in general, especially when hungry, so as much as you may want to go give them a hug, it’s not a good idea no matter what the climate is doing. But also, the fact is that polar bears are losing their hunting grounds as the climate is warming. As temperatures rise and sea ice melts, they are having a harder time finding places to hunt for dinner in the ocean.
Hi Lindsay, I go to Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial SH, and I’m in Mrs. Gilbert’s Physics class as well. I was wondering, how will the Arctic ice melting affect the geology of our planet and the polar bears specie reproduction? Will that mean that the evolutionary theory of Darwin come to effect: “survival of the fittest,” and how?
Dear Yanelis, Arctic ice melting has a huge effect on polar bears. Scientists have observed that the amount of ice in the Arctic has decreased over the last couple decades, and last year was even the lowest on record. Polar bears are having a harder time, because they need ice for their hunting grounds to get dinner from the ocean. Without ice, they can’t eat, and if they can’t eat, things get bad really fast. I hope we start making better decisions about climate in an attempt to slow down the changes that are happening in the climate.
What kind of life plants grow in the artic
Hi Marcos, that’s actually a more difficult question than you might think. If you read the blog that I just posted called “What is Arctic,” you will see that the term “arctic” actually apply to anyplace that has average temperatures below freezing. So in the Arctic ocean, any living things will be in the ocean, but in parts of Alaska, Canada, and Siberia, there can be all kinds of plants. I would be interesting to know more about this too!
How do you know the artic environment is changing
Dear Marcos, we know the Arctic is changing through observations that come from satellites on an ongoing basis, from direct observations from scientific research ships, and from monitoring instruments like buoys that we leave in the ocean that can continually tell us things like the temperature, salt content, oxygen levels, and currents – all that stuff tells us about conditions for life in the ocean, or how water from the Atlantic affect the Arctic, and lots more things. From all this data and observation, we can see, for example, that the amount of Arctic ice is decreasing year after year. In fact, last year the amount of ice was the lowest it has EVER been.
Hi Lindsay, I attend Law Enforcement Officers’ Memorial High School. And I was curious about global warming. I know once ice disappears from the sea surface, the sea can absorb much more heat from the sun, creating a feedback loop which would lead to more global warming. So my question is what action sciences are bring forth to prevent any climate changes?
Dear Wendy, you sound like you have done some research on this already! In general, scientists are already doing most of what they can do, which is make observations, collect data, and form conclusions and predictions based on those observations and data. Then what needs to happen is that people (individuals and governments) need to look at those conclusions to help make better decisions about the climate and environment. But, what I think scientists should do more of, is find better ways to communicate those results to the public so that they better understand it and can start to make those better decisions.
Hey, Lindsay. I’ve heard that since the ice cover has been changing rapidly in the arctic — in both extent and thickness — and shrinking extremely quickly quickly due to climate change, many species over there are having are hard time adapting. What do you think is the best method of action, as of now, to help slow down the rate of climate change and preserve the species’ habitat?
– A student at Law Enforcement Officers’ Memorial High School, Ms. Gilbert’s physics class
Hi Jennifer, you are absolutely correct, the sea ice in the Arctic has been shrinking over the last few decades, and more now, because 2012 was the least ice on record (we’ll see what happened throughout this year). Animals here depend on the ice to survive, like seals, walruses and polar bears. Polar bears for example use the ice as hunting grounds to find dinner in the ocean. Without ice, they are not able to find food sources as easily. As for the best method of action to reduce or slow down climate change, I would say that we are doing something right now. The scientists onboard are doing experiments to learn more about how climate works, I’m sharing it with you, and you’re asking how we can all help. What needs to happen is that individuals and governments need to use results from scientists to make better decisions (for example, individuals can conserve energy and recycle, and governments for example can make policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions).