REGIONAL SLIDES
POLAR REGION
• Arctic Sea Ice • Breidamerkurjökull, Iceland • Hubbard Glacier, United States • Prudhoe Bay, United States • Kolka Glacier, Russia • Filchner Ice Shelf, Antarctica • Ninnis Glacier, Antarctica • Drygalski Ice Tongue, Antarctica • Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania • Antarctic Ozone Hole
POLAR REGION
ARCTIC • The core of the Arctic, in the north, is the Arctic Ocean. The Arctic Ocean has many thousands of big and small islands and the lands surrounding the Arctic Ocean supports a great variety of plants.
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ANTARCTIC
The Antarctic, in the south, is an isolated continent surrounding the South Pole. Most of Antarctica's land lies beneath ice and snow almost two km thick.
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It has high mountains and glaciers.
Dramatic changes in Arctic Sea Ice
Imagine an ice-free Arctic
Shrinking Breidamerkurjökull Glacier Iceland
• 1973-2000: Images show glacier has receded and the glacial lake at its tip has enlarged
Ice dam in America: Angangueo North the Hubbard Glacier United States
• 1985 –Hubbard • 1986: Images show Glacier Degradation of forest area • 1986 –Hubbard Glacier blocks Russell • 2001: Between 1984 Fjord and 1999, 38 per cent of forests 2002 –Hubbard • were degraded Glacier blocks Russell
Fjord again
•2003 – Glacier has retreated
Hubbard Glacier advances North America: Angangueo United States
• 1986: Images show Degradation of forest area
• 2001: Between 1984 and 1999, 38 per cent of forests were degraded 10 Aug 2002
14 Aug 2002
Sprawl of oil fields in Prudhoe Bay United States
• 1974-1999: After the discovery of oil fields in 1968, the Bay has undergone dramatic changes
Collapse of Kolka Glacier Russia
Around Mt. Kazbek, a dormant volcano glaciers intermittently collapse, burying the landscape below
20 September 2002: Kolka shattered, setting off a massive avalanche of ice, snow and rocks
Extent of disaster in Kolka Glacier Russia
This before and after image shows the vast extent of disaster following the collapse
Breaking Off Filchner Ice Shelf Antarctica
Filchner Ice Shelf is the largest ice shelf on the planet
In 1986 the front edge of Ice Shelf broke off into three enormous icebergs
Calving of Ninnis Glacier Antarctica
22 January 2000: The Ninnis Glacier Tongue soon after the initial calving
5 February 2002: Iceberg split into two sections and started moving away from Ninnis Glacier
Cracks on Drygalski Ice Tongue Antarctica
The ice tongue was discovered in 1902
21 February 2005: Drygalski calved an iceberg
Image shows cracks formed by time and ocean currents
Disappearing Icecap of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
Africa’s highest mountain with a forest belt having rich diversity of ecosystems • 1976: Glaciers covered most of the summit
• 2000: The glaciers had receded alarmingly
Growth of the Antarctic Ozone Hole
1979 1982
1984
1988 1986
1990 1992
1994
1999 1997
Darkest blue areas represent regions of maximum ozone depletion
2004
“Good” Ozone vs. “Bad” Ozone
• Scientist observed positive changes in the ozone layer
“Bad” ozone is believed to be the associated with smog and poor air quality
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Earth's atmosphere appears to be recovering from losses of "good" ozone in the upper reaches of the atmosphere
POLAR REGION
One Planet Many People: Atlas of Our Changing Environment
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