Fri, Apr 11th 2008, 00:00
Alaska has seen a rise in average temperatures of about 4°F since the 1950s. The largest increase in temperatures happens during the winter months.
Places in the high latitudes around the Arctic have been warming at twice the rate of the rest of the world. The effects of Climate Change are easy to spot in Juneau, Alaska. Since 1946, the Juneau Icefield Research Project has been studying the Juneau Icefield, fifth largest body of ice in North America which is drained by 38 major glaciers.
These glaciers are retreating and thinning. The Mendenhall Glacier retreat has revealed a large outcropping of exposed rock. In the next 30 years, this exposed rock is expected to become a wall that separates the glacier from the Mendenhall Lake.
These changes will affect many things. Snow and ice of the Arctic regions reflect 70% of the sun’s energy back into space. With melting ice, there is less surface area to reflect the sun and temperature rise will become even more marked.
The coast of Alaska sees the meeting of major tectonic plates. The melting ice will affect the fault systems along this line causing earthquakes and land uplift.
Ecosystems are changing. The life cycle of salmon will be affected by changes in water temperature. The change in sea temperature will attract different species of fish into the fishing fields.
Warmer winter temperatures has meant that insects are thriving in places where the cold used to keep them in check. Infestations of insects is damaging much of Alaska’s forests. The changing environment will have a big impact on the fauna and flora of the region.
Alaska has become an important centre for understanding the affect that Climate Change will have on the earth. Changes are happening faster in these cold regions and Scientists are following developments closely to be able to predict what will happen in other places.
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