The Arctic sea of life
The Arctic sea of life
The Arctic is also a
safe haven for several
indigenous people known
as Eskimo. The word
Eskimo in native language
means Snow-Shoe-Netter.
IN 1922, Robert Flaherty made the documentary film Nanook of the North: A Story of Life and Love in the Actual Arctic, showcasing the legacy of an Inuit family in the Canadian part of the Arctic. This is probably the first ever recorded footage of the Arctic lifestyle presented to the rest of the world.
Earlier in 1912, the Arctic region had hit the headlines when an iceberg collided with the Titanic in the North Atlantic Ocean leading to one of the world’s worst maritime disasters in history. And let’s not forget the controversy over who the first person was to reach the North Pole. Robert Peary claimed to have made it in 1909, while Frederick Cook had similar claims of achieving the historic feat in 1908. Both the claims remain disputed till date.
For years, the Arctic has been a natural source of beauty, mystery and challenge. Now this iconic symbol of tough challenges and mindboggling secrets has suffered a serious setback. Due to a long list of human activities, the North Polar Region might in some time to come become iceless.
The Arctic is the region bounded by the Arctic Circle or the latitude 66.56 degree north of the equator. The circle runs through the Arctic Ocean, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Alaska (USA), Canada, Greenland and Iceland. The name Arctic comes from the Greek word meaning “near the bear”.
The climate in this part of the world is naturally harsh, ranging from cold winters to cool summers. Average winter temperature plummets to 40 degree centigrade below the freezing point. In these circumstances, plants and animals face a lot of hardship to survive.
Arctic vegetation is composed mainly of dwarf shrubs, herbs, lichens and mosses. These plants grow in the areas close to the edge of the Arctic Circle, known as Tundra. Arctic plants do have special adaptation to grow in an environment which is agonizingly cold and short. The growth rate of the Arctic plants is much faster than that of their warmer climate counterparts. A key parameter that regulates the height of the Arctic plants is the depth of snow. Mosses and lichens are the most common feature of the Arctic flora. These plants stop growth at any time and resume it when conditions improve. They can even survive under the thick snow cover for over a year.
Many species of wildlife thrive in the frigid tundra of the Arctic Circle. Muskox is a typical animal of the region. This mammal’s name is derived from the strong odor produced by the males in order to attract the females for matting. The reindeer or Caribou is yet another magnifi cent animal of the Arctic which is best known for its skin, antler and meat. Its hooves are of great importance. According to a research carried out by the University College, London in 2011, the reindeer are thought to be the only mammals that can see ultra-violet light.
Among the birds, the Arctic Tern is widely famed for its migration. It fl ies from its Arctic breeding grounds to the Antarctic and back again every year. This cyclic journey ensures that the bird sees two summers in a year and more day light than any other creature on the planet. Another signifi cant bird of the polar region is Snowy Owl. It is nomadic in nature.
The polar bear though occupies the apex position in the Arctic food pyramid. It prefers to hunt for marine life like seal in the frozen surface of the Arctic Ocean. Marine species that make their home in the Arctic are seals, walrus, baleen whales and killer whales.
The Arctic is also a safe haven for several indigenous people known as Eskimo. The word Eskimo in native language means Snow-Shoe-Netter. There are different tribes of Eskimos and they are traditionally equipped with the knowledge of building snow-houses called Igloos.
The Arctic Ocean covers the major portion of the Arctic area. The oceanic surface is partly covered with ice throughout the year. During winter, almost the entire surface is frozen. Freezing conditions in the Arctic Ocean provide important support for the polar bear to hunt. It is spectacular to watch the bears breaking ice surface to kill seals. They have to increase the body’s fat level by eating enough seals so that it would be good enough for them to overcome the upcoming summer. It is hard to hunt seal in water as ice melts due to the rise in temperature.
Thereere are different tribes of Eskimos and they are traditionally equipped with the knowledge of building snow-houses called Igloos.
The cyclic change of summer and winter seasons creates a crucial balance between the prey and predator. This natural process is now severely hampered as the level of Green House Gases (GHG) in the atmosphere is increasing at an alarming rate. Rising global warming leads to unprecedented melting of polar ice cap. If the current trend keeps on, the Arctic region will be completely devoid of ice by the year 2040, as predicted by scientists. The European Space Agency (ESA) through data gathered from its CryoSat satellite reported that Arctic sea ice cover has declined by 36% in autumn and 9% in winter during 2003–2012. The CryoSat data even reveals that a huge sea ice patch has disappeared from an area to the north of Greenland, the Canadian Archipelago and to the northeast of Svalbard. The scientists have verifi ed the CryoSat data using independent land and air measurements undertaken by ESA and NASA’s Operation Ice Bridge.
There are also individual efforts to understand the crisis looming over the Arctic. For instance, Rupert Nigel Pendrill Hadow in 2009 led the pioneering expedition known as Catlin Arctic Survey. The survey produced some alarming results. According to the survey, the Arctic Ocean’s summer sea-ice-cover will probably be degraded sharply down to 20% by the year 2020. It also pointed out that there is maximum probability for the Arctic Ocean to become completely ice-free in summer by the year 2030-40.
Consequences are far reaching owing to the melting of sea ice, triggered by climate change. Habitat loss poses the greatest threat to the survival of the polar bear. Less or thin sea ice means less access to seals for the bears. As a result, the bears become more and more vulnerable to starvation and malnutrition, bringing premature death. Reduction in sea ice cover also compels bears to swim longer distances which further depletes their existing body energy leading to drowning. Insuffi cient nourishment brings the reproductive rates of the adult females signifi cantly down. As sea ice melts, huge volume of fresh and cold water is released. It is most likely to disturb the oceanic current system (North Atlantic Current). It would reset the weather pattern of the northern hemisphere. With extra water being added, the sea level would rise. This looming crisis would inundate low lying islands.
Yet another grave concern is the release of methane stored in the permafrost. As a potential GHG, it would act as a positive feedback enhancing global warming. Things will go from bad to worse if the big oil companies are allowed to explore oil in the Arctic. This highly sensitive issue is vehemently protested by the Greenpeace.
The world needs to act promptly if the Polar Express, according to Chris Van Allsburg (author of the book The Polar Express), is to be prevented from being derailed forever.
