Essays on Permafrost

The climate of Canada is governed by a number of elements of climate which lead to a regional variety of weather patterns in the country. These weather patterns are pertinent in determining the type of climate which each particular region experiences. Climate has many impacts on a country’s ecosystem, sociology and economy, and is therefore a key component in the overall health of any economy. Disruptions to climate can have enduring outcomes for Canada and its people. This paper attempts to discuss the current climactic patterns which occur in Canada, and outlines some ways in which climate change ...

Global warming and climate change are two different terms that have been used over the years to describe different phenomena. Global warming refers to a subsequent increase in the global average temperature (Black & Weisel 5). On the other hand, climate change refers to global climate changes due to increasing average global temperatures brought by changes in rain patterns, increased drought and heat waves. These future projections in the change of global rainfall patterns can be derived from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports over the years. The argument that the use of term global warming has been ...

Analysis of ethical issue

The discovery of oil in northern Alaska’s Prudhoe Bay brought a big challenge to the engineers especially in the transportation of the product outside Alaska. As a result of the pervasive ice-rich soil layer called permafrost, it was not possible for engineers to construct an underground pipeline; instead, they had to build an aboveground pipeline (Alaska natural gas pipeline project history | Arcticgas.gov, n.d). This pipeline passed through the Alaskan landscape resulting into much contention to the native people and the environment (Bohrer, 2015). However, countries in which the pipeline passed had to strike a deal of mutual benefit. ...

1. Soil Horizon: The layer of soil parallel to the soil surface is known as soil horizon. Depending upon the texture and composition of the soil, it is categorized as O, A, B and C. Horizon O consists of organic matter such as remains of plants. Horizon A contains plants’ roots, fungi, bacteria and chemically stable minerals. Horizon B is the accumulation of soluble minerals. Horizon C contains bed rock, in other words rock fragments.

2. Mechanical Weathering: Mechanical withering occurs as a result of physical processes that break down rocks and minerals into smaller pieces that hold back ...

Terrestrial Ecosystems Dynamic

Ecological systems are dynamic by nature and constantly feel the influence of climate variability. Since the structure and functioning of forest ecosystems are controlled by climatic factors through metabolic function, it may change in the future dynamics of forest restoration, growth, progress and growth of tree mortality, as well as the relationship of rocks. It is expected that climate change will be faster than the rate at which ecosystems can adapt and repair itself. Ecosystems of the North must first of all respond to possible global warming because of climate-driven ecosystem response reveals itself most clearly. At high ...

Assignment 4: Mid-Term Exam

Question 1 - Permafrost Permafrost is a thick sub-layer of ground comprising of soil, rocks, ice, or organic materials, which remains frozen for at least two sequential years. It forms the sub-surface soil layer of Polar Regions such as the arctic region. - Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Hardwood Forest Ecotone An ecotone describes an area of transition that occurs between biomes. An example of such an area occurs in northern Ontario between the Great Lakes- St. Lawrence and the boreal forests (Liu). The Boreal forest changed into the St. Lawrence wood nearly 7,400 years ago (Liu) ...

Article Analysis

Article # 1: The Doctor Who Starved her Patients to Death Health is important to everyone who wanted to have long and healthy life. Health is what majority of the people think is the kind of wealth which no one can take it away from the owner. Health is something that we should always put priority on because this is what we need in order to normally live our daily lives. Dr. Linda Hazzard, a doctor from the small town of Olalla near Seattle, has been accused of first class murder after the death of a dozen of people who ...

ABSTRACT

At no other time in the history of the planet has the impact of human activity affected the natural order of the planet. Humans account for the increase in global warming. In turn, global warming occurring at such a rapid rate leaves scientists scrambling determining how the future looks for all living creatures including humans. Statistics exist today, and predictions exist for tomorrow. However, changes in the climate, chemical effects on the oceans, the air, and changes in the planet's ecosystems continue and the rapid increase in global warming are still unfolding affecting plants, animals, and people as discussed in ...

Introduction

Climate change appears to be one of the most challenging tasks humanity is about to face and this problem puts an enormous amount of pressure and stress on our planet, as well as on our society, and will put even a greater one in future. Such a scenario is one of the worst ever imaginable, putting an asteroid hit, a super volcano eruption, or a super earthquake aside; major climate change will result in destructive floods, and shifted climate zones, with food production being threatened. Climate change is a serious issue of our present life, and if not altered, it will lead to a complete ...

Introduction

Climate change stands to be one of the major challenges of our modern time and puts a considerable amount of pressure and stress on our planet as well as on our society. Such a problem, if faced by humanity is one of the worst case scenarios imaginable, aside the asteroid hit or a super volcano eruption; major climate change can result in risen worldwide sea level leading to destructive floods, shifted climate zones with food production being threatened. Such climate change impacts are global in scale and might eventually lead to a total human extinction. Every time the causes of climate change ...

Introduction

In the recent past, many scientists have provided evidence on how global warming that result from greenhouse gases may adversely affect the arctic regions (including tundra biome). These scientists argue that the excess abundant of greenhouse gases will cause global warming of the earth's climate in the near future. This global rise in temperature is more likely to damage the Antarctic and Arctic biome that than all other biome. This is because global warming is expected to shorten arctic tundra's winters and melt snow that covers permafrost. As a result of this, there will be flooding in many coastal areas. ...

Global Warming and its Impact on the Environment

Introduction Global warming has been an issue of concern in the world’s environmental circles as there are growing concerns about its increase. It is the gradual rising in temperatures when green house gases that include carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane and water vapor are trapped within the earth’s atmosphere. This has caused the melting of the icecaps which have led to a rise in sea levels. Other effects of global warming are changing weather patterns which have caused flooding, heat waves and drought. All these effects show that global warming has impacted significantly on the environment. Since ...

Disturbing trends in the climatic condition of the Arctic led to scientists researching this area. Upon close scrutiny the fascinating greening of the Arctic has been observed. From the space, using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), which is an index of vegetation greenness, the circumpolar changes in the tundra vegetation are observed. The NDVI records of the last 29 years were gathered and the Maximum NDVI was derived. According to studies the MaxNDVI was usually observed in August due to many factors such as CO2 fluxes, above-ground biomass, total eco-system production etc. Many other biophysical properties also cause the ...