The Arctic This Week Take Five: Week of February 15, 2021
Climate Change May Be Behind Arctic Craters, Study Suggests
On February 17, CNN reported on a massive explosion in the Siberian tundra last year, which caused a spray of ice and rock, and left a gaping crater in the landscape. This crater, caused by an extreme blowout of methane gas, is the 17th of its kind to appear in the Yamal and Gyda peninsulas since 2013. For the first time, researchers were able to fly a drone 10 to 15 meters into the crater, taking 80 images that allowed them to create a 3D model to further investigate the cavity’s shape. In their study published in Geosciences last week, the scientists investigated the link between the increased prevalence of these craters and climate change.
Take 1: Although scientists are still unclear about the source of the methane, current theories suggest that warming temperatures in the Arctic, as a result of climate change, play a significant role in the increased probability of gas blowout craters. Permafrost is a natural reservoir of methane, with some experts estimating that soils in the permafrost region sequester gas more effectively than the atmosphere, and warmer Arctic summers seen in recent years have weakened the permafrost layer considerably. This permafrost layer acts as a barrier preventing the release of the gas. Thus, a weakened permafrost would increase the probability of methane leakage. The 3D model confirmed theories of methane gas builds in the cavity that causes a mound to appear at ground level are not only an unsettling sign of change in the High North, but they also pose a risk to Indigenous communities in the area, who have the potential to encounter the holes. (CNN, Geosciences, High North News)
Oldest DNA Ever Recorded Is Extracted From Siberian Mammoths
Scientists have uncovered the oldest DNA on record, Arctic Today reported in an editorial on February 17. Extracted from the molars of wooly mammoth specimens uncovered in the 1970s, new methods were required to recover and sequence the ancient genetic material. Scientists reported that the DNA was taken from three separate wooly mammoths whose remains were found in northwestern Siberia. The oldest of the three, found near the Krestovka River, are approximately 1.2 million years old. Previously, the oldest DNA on record came from a horse that lived in Canada’s Yukon territory 700,000 years ago.
Take 2: When scientists discuss the benefits of permafrost they tend to highlight its ability to sequester carbon and other greenhouse gasses, preventing them from entering the earth’s atmosphere and contributing to increased climate change. Permafrost is also a fantastic storage system for genetic material, and many ancient creatures have been found preserved after being entombed for thousands of years. These findings add amazing detail to researchers’ ideas of the evolution of North American mammoths. The teeth’s ancient DNA suggests that one of North America’s mammoth species, the Columbian mammoth, is a hybrid that appeared 400,000 to 500,000 years ago. This was only found because the study’s DNA drastically precedes the interbreeding event. The study is significant because it indicates how early adaptations in mammoths arose that allowed them to thrive in low temperatures. Previous studies had indicated that these variants appeared in more recent mammoths. The new Nature study, however, asserts that over 85% of these gene variants were already found in Siberia’s mammoths more than a million years ago, thus far predating the origin of the wooly mammoth. (Arctic Today, National Geographic, Nature)
Denmark Mitigating Tension by Increasing Defense Spending
A report from High North News on Monday February 15 reported that Denmark will increase its defense spending in order to strengthen its capabilities in the Arctic. Currently boasting one aircraft, four helicopters, and four ships to monitor the area, the Kingdom of Denmark will see the inclusion of long-range drones and radars to its arsenal. Lawmakers have agreed to spend half of the 1.5 billion Danish crowns (roughly 245 million USD) to procure these drones, which will focus on improving surveillance in Greenland. An additional 400 million will be used to install an air surveillance radar in the Faroe Islands, a protectorate of Denmark.
Take 3: The past few years have seen an increase in global tensions in the High North, particularly between Russia and the United States. Both nations have been strengthening their military capabilities in the region, focusing on stockpiling ice breakers, drones, and radars to enforce sovereignty and increase security. In addition, China and other observer nations are also becoming more active in the Arctic region. It is therefore not surprising that other Arctic countries now follow suit, placing more emphasis on strengthening military capabilities, thus resulting in increased spending. In the specific case of Denmark, Defense minister Trine Bramsen underscored in an interview for the Financial Times that this move is “not about escalating conflicts,” rather the increased security serves to mitigate potential risks. The Kingdom of Denmark notes that relations with Russia have been cordial thanks to Moscow’s participation in the Arctic Council. However, the growth of military capabilities in the region only serves to emphasize the urgent need for greater communication between Arctic powers. (Arctic Today, Financial Times, High North News)
Ancient Reindeer Migration Routes Under Threat from Green Development
Ancient reindeer migration routes are under threat from roads, mines, dams– and now clean energy projects, a study from Durham University finds. Published on February 15, the new study reports that reindeer migration routes, which Indigenous Sámi herders and reindeer depend on for survival, are being impacted by wind farms. Onshore wind farms are leading the green energy movement in Northern Europe. In Norway especially, wind turbines have quadrupled over the last decade. Although wind turbines take up minimal space on the landscape, the sound and movement generated by the turbines have the potential to spook the reindeer and prevent them from feeding.
Take 4: Recent development projects within the Arctic sphere stress the need for involvement and communication with Indigenous stakeholders. In light of the EU’s Green Deal and an increased global emphasis on mitigating climate change and promoting climate resilience, more industries are turning to the Arctic for resource extraction and clean energy solutions, including hydroelectric dams and wind farms. Although these projects can have a long-term benefit in terms of climate and job creation, they pose a serious threat to the livelihoods of Sámi herders. Hydroelectric dams have flooded sacred sites and eradicated ancient grazing areas, and wind farms have the potential to deter herds from grazing. Research is being conducted as to the viability of using wildlife corridors and scheduled tree-fellings to promote grazing and ease migration. However, both options have their own potential pitfalls and would involve moving herds from their traditional migratory routes. This study is another example of the need for developers to consult with indigenous stakeholders before building. Although renewable energy is needed to preserve and protect the Arctic environment, the preservation of the region’s unique culture and ecology is also paramount. (Arctic Today)
New Life Under Antarctic Ice Sheet Challenges Current Theories
The beginning of the week saw a discovery from the British Antarctic Survey that can be relevant for future Arctic research. On February 15, a study in Frontiers in Marine Science reported the existence of a community of stationary animals on the seafloor, under 900 meters of ice. The community of sponges and two hitherto unknown species were found attached to a boulder under the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf in Antarctica, in conditions uninhabitable to most organisms. This discovery is the first of its kind to be found in the area.
Take 5: Thus far, scientists have recorded the existence of roaming predators or scavengers, including jellyfish, worms, krill, and fish, in these Antarctic areas. Stationary filter feeders like sponges, that depend on food that happens to float by, are not expected to be found in these harsh conditions without sunlight. Although there are sponge communities found in the High North as well, neither Arctic or Antarctic sponges have been studied extensively. Scientists believe that the isolated community’s food source is likely travelling between 370 and 930 miles to reach them, borne by strong currents in the area. This hard substrate (boulder) community is the first of its kind to be recorded under an ice shelf, and its existence challenges current theories about the variety of life that can survive in polar regions. (British Antarctic Survey, Business Insider, Frontiers in Marine Science, New Scientist)