The Arctic is a polar area in the northernmost part of the Earth. The Arctic Circle is situated about 66° north of the equator. The Arctic region is defined by the Arctic Ocean, North Canada, Greenland, North Finland, Iceland, North Norway, North Russia, North Sweden, and the North USA (Alaska). Most of the Arctic is water, and it is seasonally covered with ice and snow. The Arctic holds about 20% of Earth’s supply of freshwater. In the Arctic region, you can find landscapes that are called tundra. Tundra in the Arctic region is mainly without trees, and the ground there is frozen (permafrost). In the Arctic Sea, you can see sea ice all year around. Sea ice helps define Earth’s climate.
Sea ice has a really high albedo. It means that around 80% of the sunlight that hits the ground is reflected back into space. Darker surfaces like the ground and sea water absorb sunlight. They absorb around 90%. Due to currents, the Arctic helps regulate ocean temperatures all around the world.

Earth’s polar regions are warming faster than other places on Earth. The global mean temperature has risen by 1°C above the 1950–1980 average. At the same time, temperatures in the Arctic from 1971 to 2019 have risen by 3.1°C. Arctic sea level is shrinking at a rate of 13% per decade.

Rapidly shrinking Arctic sea ice speeds up global warming. Since ice and snow are melting, more surface is exposed to sunlight. This means that more sunlight is absorbed, and the ice is melting even faster. The biggest temperature changes have been at the same time when there has been less ice. The largest increases have been noticed in the autumn. This means that the Arctic has reached a tipping point, where the solar heat that was absorbed during the summer limits the ice formation in the following fall and winter. Also, Arctic Ocean temperatures have been higher after the warmer summer. It can be said that it works like a “snowball effect.” Because when the winters are warmer, the spring warming also starts earlier.

Arctic sea ice and snow depth have shrunk by 33% over the last 30 years. The ice and the snow in the Arctic are vital for the wildlife there. The reductions in the thickness and range of sea ice, together with the changes in the timing of ice melt, put animals particularly dependent on ice, like narwhals, polar bears, and walruses, at risk. It is estimated that by the year 2100, polar bears may become extinct.
Polar bears depend on sea ice. They give birth and hunt there. They also use it for travelling from one place to another. Female polar bears completely depend on sea ice, because if they don’t get enough food, then they can’t raise their cubs.
Walruses use the edge of the ice as a platform for diving. The ice edge is very sensitive to climate change, and it is the most productive area nearest the coast. Walrus feed on clams on the sea floor. When the ice edge pulls back from the shore into deeper areas, there will be no clams for the walrus. They also use the floating ice to travel long distances, and therefore they are able to feed over a wide area.
Narwhals use sea ice for protection from predators like killer whales. Narwhals also use the sea ice as a place to feed.

Arctic communities are also experiencing food shortages and an overall risk to their livelihoods. Changes in sea ice, tundra productivity, temperatures, and snow coverage are affecting the availability of traditional foods. People in these areas are eating whales, walruses, seabirds, seals, caribous, and wild berries. Reindeer herders in the Fennoscandia region have suffered big losses on their herds because of the major snowfall and the rain. The rain on the snow freezes, which makes it almost impossible for the reindeer to reach their food. People in the Arctic travel over ice. Since the ice is getting thinner, the traditional routes are unsafe to use. Greenland hunters say that the period when it is possible to travel on sea ice by dogsleds has decreased from five months to three months.

Another big issue in the Arctic region is the thawing permafrost. Permafrost can be found on land and also below the ocean floor. Permafrost is ground that usually stays at or below 0°C for at least two years. During the melting of permafrost, it emits carbon, and therefore it amplifies climate change even more.

In conclusion, what happens in the Arctic will affect every place on planet Earth. If we don’t cut down on greenhouse gas emissions, then the warming in the Arctic will continue. This means that the sea level is going to rise, temperatures are changing, and weather patterns are changing. We will experience more severe weather events. Changes in the Arctic don’t affect only the animals there. They also affect the survival, health, and cultural identity of indigenous peoples and local communities.

Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic
https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/arctic/
https://scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone/climate-change-impacts/warming-polar-regions
https://www.arcticwwf.org/threats/climate-change/
https://www.npolar.no/en/themes/climate-change-in-the-arctic/#toggle-id-1
https://www.greenfacts.org/en/arctic-climate-change/l-2/5-arctic-animals.htm
https://www.arcticwwf.org/wildlife/narwhal/
https://www.arcticwwf.org/the-circle/stories/thawing-permafrost/
https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/permafrost/