The Arctic

The Arctic is a polar region located in the far north of the planet. The Arctic Ocean and surrounding seas, as well as sections of Canada, Denmark (Greenland), Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia (Murmansk, Siberia, Nenets Okrug, Novaya Zemlya), Sweden, and the United States, make up the Arctic (Alaska). Seasonally variable snow and ice cover the land in the Arctic region, with mostly treeless permafrost (permanently frozen subterranean ice) including tundra. Many sites in the Arctic Seas have seasonal sea ice.

The region’s civilizations, as well as the indigenous peoples of the Arctic, have adapted to the region’s cold and severe weather. Zooplankton and phytoplankton, fish and marine mammals, birds, terrestrial animals, plants, and human societies all live in the Arctic. The subarctic zone separates the Arctic from the rest of the world.

Climate:

Cold winters and cool summers characterise the Arctic. Its precipitation is largely in the form of snow and is infrequent, with most areas receiving less than 50 cm (20 in). High gusts frequently agitate snow, giving the appearance of continual snowfall. Average winter temperatures are around 40 degrees Celsius (40 degrees Fahrenheit), with the coldest recorded temperature being around 68 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit). Oceanic effects moderate coastal Arctic climates, which have generally milder temperatures and heavier snowfalls than the colder and dry core regions.

Current global warming is affecting the Arctic, resulting in Arctic sea ice loss, reduced ice in the Greenland ice sheet, and Arctic methane release as permafrost thaws. Polar amplification is linked to the melting of Greenland’s ice sheet.

The Arctic region is shrinking due to the poleward migration of the planet’s isotherms (approximately 56 km (35 mi) every decade during the past 30 years as a result of global warming).

Flora and Fauna:

Adaptation to short growing seasons with long periods of sunlight, as well as cold, dark, snow-covered winter conditions, are hallmarks of Arctic life.

Plants

Dwarf shrubs, graminoids, herbs, lichens, and mosses, all of which grow relatively near to the ground and form tundra, make up Arctic vegetation. The bearberry is an example of a dwarf shrub. The quantity of warmth available for plant growth drops dramatically as one proceeds north. Plants in the far north have reached their metabolic limits, and slight differences in total summer warmth result in enormous disparities in the quantity of energy available for maintenance, growth, and reproduction. Plant size, abundance, productivity, and variety decline as summer temperatures cool.

Trees cannot grow in the Arctic, but shrubs can reach 2 m (6 ft 7 in) in height, and sedges, mosses, and lichens can create thick layers in the warmest sections. Much of the ground in the Arctic’s coldest regions is bare; non-vascular plants such as lichens and mosses, as well as a few scattered leaves of grass and forbs, predominate.

Animals:

Arctic hares, lemmings, muskox, and caribou are among the tundra’s herbivores. Snowy owls, Arctic foxes, Grizzly bears, and Arctic wolves all feast on them. Polar bears are predators as well, however, they prefer to hunt marine creatures from the ice. Many avian and marine species are peculiar to the colder climates. Wolverines, moose, Dall sheep, ermines, and Arctic ground squirrels are among the other terrestrial mammals. Seals, walruses, and various species of cetaceans, including baleen whales, narwhals, orcas, and beluga whales, are among the marine animals. The Larus gulls are a good and well-known example of a ring species that has been described around the Arctic Circle.

Natural Resources:

Natural resources (oil, gas, minerals, freshwater, fish, and, if the subarctic is included, forest) abound in the Arctic, and modern technology and Russia’s economic opening up have created substantial new prospects. The tourism industry is also becoming more interested.

The Arctic is home to of the world’s last and largest continuous wilderness areas, and its importance in conserving biodiversity and genetics is enormous. Humans are fragmenting key habitats as they become more prevalent. The Arctic is particularly vulnerable to the abrasion of groundcover and the disturbance of the region’s scarce nesting sites for the region’s wildlife. The Arctic also contains one-fifth of the world’s water supply.

Conclusion:

The “Land of the Midnight Sun” is a term that has been used to describe the Arctic. The earth revolves on an axis that is off vertical. On the summer solstice (June ), all of the land north of the Arctic Circle  receives 24 hours of sunlight. On the other hand, on the winter solstice, December , the Arctic is fully shielded from the sun’s rays.

Even in the summer, the Arctic remains chilly for a variety of reasons. The main explanation is that the sun stays low on the horizon throughout the day. As a result, solar energy must travel through more atmosphere to reach the land. Furthermore, because to the high reflectivity (albedo) of snow and ice surfaces, only a small portion of the energy that reaches the ground is retained.