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Water also reflects less light than ice. Notable Social Studies Trade Books (2005). Use a single chapter as a read aloud, as the text is dense! These are calledglaciers. The plight of polar bears, for example, has become a symbol of global warming in the Arctic due to the cascading impacts of sea ice loss. The geography of Antarctica is affected by freezing temperatures, high-altitude terrain, and vast ice sheets that cover most of the continent. An official website of the United States government. Alaskas North Slope contains 6% of the largest oil fields in the United States and one of the 100 largest natural gas fields. Its precipitation mostly comes in the form of snow and is low, with most of the area receiving less than 50cm (20in). [47][48] Release of methane and carbon dioxide stored in permafrost could cause abrupt and severe global warming,[49] as they are potent greenhouse gases. Primary consumers such as jellies and shrimp consume plankton, the basis of the Arctic marine food web. Although most elementary students will not understand the difference between the magnetic poles and geographic poles, they can be introduced to the idea that the Earth has a magnetic field, which has been used in exploration throughout history. But thousands of years ago, much more of the Earth was covered with ice sheets. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut), Danish Realm (Greenland), northern Finland (Northern Ostrobothnia, Kainuu and Lappi), Iceland, northern Norway (Nordland, Troms, Finnmark, Svalbard and Jan Mayen), Russia (Murmansk, Siberia, Nenets Okrug, Novaya Zemlya), northernmost Sweden (Vsterbotten, Norrbotten and Lappland) and the United States (Alaska). As one moves northward, the amount of warmth available for plant growth decreases considerably. Instead of relying on driftwood, however, Sami communities had access to the rich taiga, or boreal forests, of the European subarctic. In the coldest parts of the Arctic, much of the ground is bare; non-vascular plants such as lichens and mosses predominate, along with a few scattered grasses and forbs (like the Arctic poppy). Other terrestrial animals include wolverines, moose, Dall sheep, ermines, and Arctic ground squirrels. 0733024. The initial focus of the campaign will be a UN resolution creating a global sanctuary around the pole, and a ban on oil drilling and unsustainable fishing in the Arctic. The flag-placing during Arktika 2007 generated commentary on and concern for a race for control of the Arctic's vast hydrocarbon resources. Although some forests lie near the Arctic Circle, plant life is mostly limited to grasses, sedges, and tundra vegetation such as mosses and lichens. About 30,000 households have been ordered to evacuate in Canada's British Columbia province, where nearly 400 wildfires are raging. The 21st century has marked record lows in both the winter maximum and summer minimum extent of sea ice. Potential methane release from the region, especially through the thawing of permafrost and methane clathrates, is also a concern. Elevation protected the valuables from excess rot due to snow or water seeping into the storehouse, as well as vermin such as mice or rats. Learn more about how arctic animals that live in polar regions are impacted by climate change in this article by Lets Talk Science. support, Terms and WebThe northernmost part of the Eurasian land mass, from the extreme northeastern coast of Scandinavia and eastwards to the Bering Strait, large areas of northern Siberia and This defined uniqueness makes polar regions outstanding. Climate change also profoundly impacts Arctic settlements, as melting sea ice opens up new shipping routes and access to previously inaccessible natural resources. Province/Territory Learn about the unique climate found in Earths polar regions. Complete answer: Frigid Zone is a zone lying between the Arctic Circle and the North Pole in the Northern Hemisphere and the Antarctic Circle and the South Pole in Polar regions are the coldest and most unpopulated regions on the planet, yet they are distinctive in their landscapes, climate, fauna, and flora. During the Cretaceous time period, the Arctic still had seasonal snows, though only a light dusting and not enough to permanently hinder plant growth. More methane contributes to global warming. The word Arctic comes from the Greek word (arktikos), "near the Bear, northern"[4] and from the word (arktos), meaning bear. 2002. [54] One harbinger of the opening navigability of the Arctic took place in the summer of 2016 when the Crystal Serenity successfully navigated the Northwest Passage, a first for a large cruise ship. A country can explore and exploit all resources within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Students can also begin to understand the distortion of map projections by creating a globe and a map with a tennis ball covered with paper. ScienceDirect is a registered trademark of Elsevier B.V. The historically nomadic Sami (an indigenous people of Scandinavia and northwestern Russia) also built temporary tent-like structures, called lavvu. NASA Climate Kids. In August 2015, Russia made a supplementary submission for the expansion of the external borders of its continental shelf in the Arctic Ocean, asserting that the eastern part of the Lomonosov Ridge and the Mendeleyev Ridge are an extension of the Eurasian continent. Earth Systems: Understandings of the living world, Earth, and space are deepened by investigating natural systems and their interactions. The area around theNorth Poleis called theArctic. Did you know that the polar regions are more than just the North Pole and South Pole? The cold temperatures and long periods of darkness have led to adaptations such as small size, hibernation, and white coloration for camouflage. The Arctic is named for the north polar constellation ArktosGreek for bear.. cookies. Furthermore, the landscape includes mountain ranges such as the Brooks Range in Alaska and the Scandinavian Mountains in Norway and Sweden. The web site How Stuff Works provides background information on Earths magnetic field and instructions for creating a simple magnetic compass. Ratio of in situ CO2 to CH4 production and its environmental controls in polygonal tundra soils of Samoylov Island, Northeastern Siberia. Polar regions in theSouthern hemisphereexperience these same seasonal shifts at opposite times of the year. [50], Climate change is also predicted to have a large impact on tundra vegetation, causing an increase of shrubs,[52] and having a negative impact on bryophytes and lichens. The rectangular blocks were stacked in tight spiral pattern, giving the igloo a domed shape. Greenland is covered by a much smaller ice sheet. Polar region | Arctic, Antarctic & Tundra | Britannica The web site also provides an interactive Venn Diagram. IPCC. Arctic settlements are sparsely populated due to the harsh climate and rugged terrain. Capital city of Northwest Territories has been ordered to - CNN Typical animals found in the Arctic include polar bears, arctic foxes, reindeer, and muskoxen. The melting of Greenland's ice sheet is linked to polar amplification. Methane is agreenhouse gasthat can prevent heat from leaving Earths atmosphere. [5] The name refers either to the constellation Ursa Major, the "Great Bear", which is prominent in the northern portion of the celestial sphere, or to the constellation Ursa Minor, the "Little Bear", which contains the celestial north pole (currently very near Polaris, the current north Pole Star, or North Star). The standard titles for these antipodal regions are the North and South Poles because they are points where the planet's axis of rotation intersects its surface, which causes them to receive minimal sunlight and experience long periods of darkness. The average temperature in the summer is 28.2 C. In the winter its 60 C. People have to dress very warmly when they go outside in these conditions. cookies. About ScienceDirect [56] These factors have led to recent international debates as to which nations can claim sovereignty or ownership over the waters of the Arctic.[57][58][59][60]. Upon ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, a country has ten years to make claims to an extended continental shelf beyond its 200 nautical mile zone. But they are also the locations of some of the most farsighted measures of environmental protection. [17][18] The Dorset culture (Inuktitut: Tuniit or Tunit) refers to the next inhabitants of central and eastern Arctic. Explore the Earths Arctic and Antarctic through the links in this The Northwest Passage was not completely navigated until 1906, when legendary Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and his crew made the voyage from Greenland to Alaska. Insects such as mosquitoes and moths are common, especially as icemelt creates ponds during spring and summer. Thepolar regionssurround Earths North and South Poles. Igloos were just one type of Inuit dwelling. Mapping the Polar Regions Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears It consists of the Arctic Ocean and surrounding land, including all of Greenland and Spitsbergen, and the northern parts of Alaska, Canada, Norway, and Russia. The Polar Regions Polar Climate. Global warming affects the polar regions more than other parts of the world. Through experimentation, students will begin to notice patterns in magnetic and non-magnetic materials. The eight Arctic nations (Canada, Kingdom of Denmark [Greenland & The Faroe Islands], Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Russia, and USA) are all members of the Arctic Council, as are organizations representing six indigenous populations. Engineers and geographers estimate that oil and gas deposits in the Arctic make up 13% of the worlds undiscovered petroleum resources, and 30% of undiscovered natural gas resources. World Wildlife Fund. 2020 The Arctic includes the peaks of the Brooks mountain range in western North America, the enormous Greenland ice sheet, the isolated islands of the Svalbard archipelago, the fjords of northern Scandinavia, and the grassland plateaus and rich river valleys of northern Siberia. This is calledsea ice. How are Arctic Animals in Canada Affected by Climate Change. Relative location is the The Dorset culture evolved because of technological and economic changes during the period of 1050550 BCE. White ice and snow reflect the suns heat. Some polar regions get less than 25 cm ofprecipitationper year. Terrestrial EcosystemsThe varied landscapes of the Arctic provide for a variety of ecosystems. This work is licensed under an Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons license. These storehouses, which resemble log cabins, are notable for being elevated on stilts, centimeters or even meters from the ground. Hands-on experiments with magnets in the primary grades lead to an understanding of magnetic fields and compasses in the upper grades. Why teach about the polar regions, their geography, and maps? Between 1937 and 1991, 88 international polar crews established and occupied scientific settlements on the drift ice and were carried thousands of kilometres by the ice flow. On the Canadian side of this ridge the Fletcher and Wrangel Abyssal plains form a deep, irregular basin between the Lomonosov and the Alpha Ridges. The interior of Antarctica is a polar desert due to its extremely low precipitation levels, typically less than 2 inches per year. Due to the major impacts to the region from climate change the near climate future of the region will be extremely different under all scenarios of warming. AST consisted of several Paleo-Eskimo cultures, including the Independence cultures and Pre-Dorset culture. 2004. The Arctic at the crossroads of geopolitical interests // Russian Politics and Law, 2012. National Geographic has a downloadable map for Antarctica, or you can use a globe. Indigenous people such as the Inuit have lived in the region for thousands of years, developing unique cultural practices and subsistence strategies well adapted to the environment. This is what makes them deserts! Official websites use .gov The tundra biome dominates the most land area with low-growing vegetation, including mosses, lichens, and shrubs adapted to cold climates. Viewing more accurate representations is the first step in teaching and learning about these two dramatically different, yet often confused areas. They defeated the Caribbean Region, 13-3, in a By continuing you agree to the The polar regions extensive icy lands and waters around the North and South Poles are going through rapid and dramatic changes. Ice caps, glaciers, and permafrost cover much of the Arctic terrain. Earth's polar regions are a captivating and mysterious part of our planet, shrouded in ice and darkness for much of the year. Mines and drilling operations are often dependent on the weather. In addition to its scientific significance, Antarctica also supports a unique ecosystem of flora and fauna. The species range of the polar bear is also altered by climate change. It is mostly covered by pack-ice (frozen sea-water) averaging 2-3 meters thick. This coloring helps camouflage them in heavy snow and ice. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Cross-Chapter Paper 6: Polar Regions. They are places where people have sought to conquer nature through exploration and economic development, but in many ways, they remain wild and untamed. [6], There are a number of definitions of what area is contained within the Arctic. [23][28] Due to this, Norway (which ratified the convention in 1996),[29] Russia (ratified in 1997),[29] Canada (ratified in 2003)[29] and the Kingdom of Denmark (ratified in 2004)[29] launched projects to establish claims that certain sectors of the Arctic seabed should belong to their territories. Herbivores on the tundra include the Arctic hare, lemming, muskox, and caribou. When Nature Strikes: Tsunami Classroom Activity. The lesson plan Yarning About Latitude and Longitude uses a whole-class, kinesthetic activity to introduce the concepts of latitude and longitude as well as the Equator, Arctic Circle, and Antarctic Circle. The Arctic is comparatively clean, although there are certain ecologically difficult localized pollution problems that present a serious threat to people's health living around these pollution sources. In warmer weather, the Arctic permafrost can thaw and machinery can become unstable and damage the environment. In Alaska, many oil companies work with indigenous groups known as native corporations to drill and export millions of barrels of oil every year. Web1.3 Locations and Regions on Earth. Students can use this to record characteristics of the Arctic and Antarctic, rather than phrasing them as similarities and differences. The Arctic contains some of the last and most extensive continuous wilderness areas in the world, and its significance in preserving biodiversity and genotypes is considerable. Some of these mineral deposits are underground, while others are buried beneath the Arctic Ocean. Recommended ages: K-2. The polar bear, the iconic apex predator of the Arctic, is equally able to hunt on land and around ice floes. Glaciers flow, or move at very slow speeds. All About Arctic Climatology and Meteorology. This is why the northern polar regions are warmer than the southern polar regions. Arctic seas contain seasonal sea ice in many places. Russia in search of its Arctic strategy: between hard and soft power? If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. The Arctic includes copious natural resources (oil, gas, minerals, fresh water, fish and, if the subarctic is included, forest) to which modern technology and the economic opening up of Russia have given significant new opportunities. Within this circle are the Arctic ocean basin and the northern parts of Scandinavia, Russia, Canada, Greenland, and the U.S. state of Alaska. Privacy Policy Terms of Use Accessibility Scientific Integrity Policy. The size and shape of the Arctic Ocean Basin are roughly similar to those of the Antarctic continent, and it is 1.5 times the size of the continental US. Igloos could hold as few as two and as many as 20 people. Northeast Region; Southeast Region; Midcontinent Region; Rocky Mountain Region; Southwest Region; Alaska Region; Northwest-Pacific Islands Region The polar regions, also called the frigid zones or polar zones, of Earth are Earth's polar ice caps, the regions of the planet that surround its geographical poles (the North and South Poles), lying within the polar circles. But science educators place great importance on recognizing, challenging, and correcting student misconceptions. Polar bears that do survive are less likely to produce healthy offspring, reducing the population over generations. It covers about15 percentof the worlds oceans during part of the year. During the Northern Hemispheres winter months, the Arctic is one of the coldest and darkest places on Earth. (2011, January 21). 50, No. Students could use the Venn Diagram to sort magnetic and non-magnetic materials. Did you know that some maps display a distorted representation of the polar regions?