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17 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
How have temperatures in the Arctic risen in comparison with the rest of the world in the last 50 years? |
Temperatures risen 2x as fast as rest of world
Increased by 4 degrees in the last 50 years |
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What is the predicted temperature rise in the next 100 years? |
5 degrees
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Why is the Arctic important? |
85% of heat energy is reflected by the snow |
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How is Arctic ice and snow being reduced? |
By the lowering of the albedo effect
Enhanced greenhouse effect
Melting of the permafrost |
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How much of Storglaciaren glacier was lost between 1910 and 1980? |
29% |
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How much will summer sea ice be reduced by in 2050? |
50% |
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What are the benefits of the reducing ice? |
Opens up more oil and gas stores, 25% are found in Arctic
Prolongs navigation season
Opens new shipping route 45% shorter than through Suez |
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What's happened on the Kenia peninsula to the forest?
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Bark beetles have destroyed 4 million acres of forest when they are normally killed by cold winters |
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What village is being directly affected by the loss of permafrost? |
Fairbanks, its sinking due to its thawing |
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What is the Shismaref coast suffering from? |
Increased erosion due to rising sea levels |
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How much permafrost is expected to melt in the next 50 years? Which place especially? |
40% Siberia |
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Why is increased UV radiation a problem? |
Phytoplankon highly sensitive to it, destroys them and therefore the whole marine ecosystem seen as they are at the base of the food chain
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What problems will be caused by vegetation shift? |
Destabilise food chains Increase likelihood of forest fires Increase likelihood of insect outbreaks in Russia |
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How many Inuit villages in Alaska are at risk of flooding? |
24 |
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What percentage of the Inuit population still rely on hunting? |
80% |
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What are ocean currents in the Arctic affected by? Why is this significant? |
Salinity levels, changed by introduction of new fresh water from melting ice sheets Affects global ocean currents |
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What affects air currents in the Arctic? Why is this significant? |
Temperature Sea ice Landscapes
Affects global weather patterns |