Why the Arctic is climate change's canary in the coal mine - William Chapman
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-the-arctic-is-climate-change-s-canary-in-the-coal-mine-william-chapman The Arctic may seem like a frozen and desolate environment where nothing...
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The area surrounding the North Pole may seem like a frozen and desolate environment where nothing ever changes. But it is actually a complex and finely balanced natural system, and its extreme location makes it vulnerable to feedback processes that can magnify even tiny changes in the atmosphere. In fact, scientists often describe the Arctic as the canary in the coal mine when it comes to predicting the impact of climate change. One major type of climate feedback involves reflectivity. White surfaces, like snow and ice, are very effective at reflecting the sun's energy back into space, while darker land and water surfaces absorb much more incoming sunlight. When the Arctic warms just a little, some of the snow and ice melts, exposing the ground a...
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The area surrounding the North Pole may seem like a frozen and desolate environment where nothing ever changes. But it is actually a complex and finely balanced natural system, and its extreme location makes it vulnerable to feedback processes that can magnify even tiny changes in the atmosphere. In fact, scientists often describe the Arctic as the canary in the coal mine when it comes to predicting the impact of climate change. One major type of climate feedback involves reflectivity. White surfaces, like snow and ice, are very effective at reflecting the sun's energy back into space, while darker land and water surfaces absorb much more incoming sunlight. When the Arctic warms just a little, some of the snow and ice melts, exposing the ground a...
