The Arctic This Week Take Five: Week of 2 September, 2024
Record Temperatures in the Arctic – Again
As reported by The Barents Observer on September 3, the Norwegian Meteorological Institute has published a report on the exceptionally high temperatures inside the Arctic Circle. The report states that 60 stations, located primarily in northern Norway and Svalbard, have recorded the warmest temperatures ever measured for the month of August. Elsewhere, sources in Murmansk, Russia, have noted that the region had the warmest summer on record, and data from the Finnish Meteorological Institute has also revealed that the Lapland region in northern Finland experienced record highs at most of its weather stations this summer. (The Barents Observer)
Take 1: The record-high temperatures in northern Norway, Lapland, and Murmansk are severely concerning, especially as these are only the latest in a series of record-breaking temperatures across the Arctic. In the last few months, parts of northern Alaska and Canada also experienced historically high temperatures as persistent heat domes brought temperatures to nearly 100°F in some areas. The exceptionally high air temperatures contribute to numerous challenges in the region, including glacial melt and permafrost thaw. These impacts are particularly acute in Svalbard, one of the fastest-warming places on the planet. This year’s extreme summer temperatures caused the archipelago’s ice caps to melt at a rate five times larger than normal, breaking a record for daily surface melt. Thawing permafrost has also caused landslides and destabilized the ground near local communities. The effects of warming in Svalbard are a clear indication of the dramatic shifts in the Arctic due to climate change. As Arctic amplification continues to drive warming throughout the region, the rapid changes in Svalbard are increasingly being seen in other parts of the Arctic, and these continuous record-setting temperatures threaten to push the region past the point of adaptability. Thus, the exceptionally high temperatures in northern Scandinavia further illustrate the alarming rate of warming in the Arctic and emphasize the need for immediate climate action to preserve the region. (NASA Earth Observatory, The Barents Observer, The Guardian, The Washington Post)
Atlantic and Arctic Mixing: Key Mechanism for the AMOC
As reported by Earth.com on August 31, in a new paper published in Nature Communications, an international team of researchers has found that the interplay between Atlantic and Arctic waters is critical for the stability of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). By examining ocean data from 1979 to 2021, researchers from the University of Southampton, the Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar, the National Oceanography Centre, and Stockholm University estimated that the mixing of Atlantic and Arctic waters accounts for 33% of the transformation of warm, salty water into cooler, denser water, a mechanism that drives the AMOC. The paper also noted that warming ocean temperatures could reduce mixing and slow the current. (Earth.com)
Take 2: The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation is a crucial ocean current that regulates the global climate by distributing heat around the planet. The circulation process begins as warm water reaches cooler regions, like the North Atlantic, and becomes denser, sinking to great depths. The cooler, denser, water is carried southwards, where it gets pulled back towards the surface and warms up, restarting the cycle. However, the new study makes an important contribution by finding that while some of the dense water immediately returns south, much of the water travels further north, where it mixes with Arctic waters to become even denser, strengthening the AMOC. This interplay between Atlantic and Arctic waters is a key mechanism to investigate, especially as climate change amplifies warming in the Arctic. High temperatures have already contributed to sea ice melt, causing Arctic waters to absorb more sunlight, which increases ocean temperatures. Global warming has also caused glaciers and ice sheets to melt at greater rates, potentially changing the salinity, temperature, and density of the region’s waters. These shifts in the Arctic Ocean could reduce the mixing of Atlantic and Arctic waters, resulting in severe consequences for the AMOC. As scientists continue to evaluate possible tipping points in the Arctic, this research provides insight into a vital mechanism of the AMOC and could help improve existing models on this essential current. (National Snow and Ice Data Center, NOAA, Phys.org, The Guardian)
Royal Canadian Navy Receives Fifth Arctic Ship
As reported by Naval News on August 30, Canadian shipbuilding firm Irving Shipbuilding has delivered another Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS) to the Royal Canadian Navy. The vessel is the fifth of six AOPS commissioned by the Royal Canadian Navy and was constructed four months ahead of schedule. The ship, named the HMCS Frédérick Rolette, has departed from Halifax Shipyard and will move to HMC Dockyard, home of the Royal Canadian Navy’s Atlantic Fleet. (Naval News)
Take 3: The delivery of the fifth Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship is an important addition to the Royal Canadian Navy as Canada seeks to strengthen its Arctic capabilities and secure the Canadian North. As the Arctic rapidly transforms due to climate change, Canada increasingly faces a range of challenges in the region. The growing Russian military activity in the Arctic remains a significant concern, but melting sea ice has also made the Canadian North more accessible and thus, more vulnerable to emerging threats. For instance, in 2023, the Canadian Armed Forces discovered and retrieved Chinese spy buoys in Arctic waters, and in July, the navy shadowed one of three Chinese icebreakers recently sent to the region. Additionally, more commercial activity in Arctic waters can raise the potential for accidents or illegal activity, increasing the demand for search and rescue and the enforcement of fisheries and environmental regulations. Capable of performing a variety of functions, the AOPS is a strong asset that enables the Canadian military to meet these needs, improve surveillance, and enhance Canada’s presence in the High North. However, while the HMCS Frédérick Rolette will strengthen Canada’s Arctic capabilities, it is only one component of Arctic monitoring. Given the region’s vast distances and difficult conditions, Canada should continue to incorporate new capacities, such as drones, to ensure a comprehensive approach to security in the region. (Auditor General of Canada, Government of Canada, Newsweek, VOA News)
Arctic Microbes: New Source of Antibiotics?
As reported by Live Science on August 30, research published in Frontiers in Microbiology has found that several substances from actinobacteria or microbes in the Arctic Ocean can stop harmful bacteria and could be a potential source for new antibiotics. Scientists from the Arctic University of Norway and Finnish University of Helsinki analyzed hundreds of compounds from actinobacteria collected during an Arctic expedition in 2020 and tested them on a pathogenic type of E. coli. The researchers found that compounds from a strain of actinobacteria from the Rhodococcus genus and another from the Kocuria genus had strong antibacterial properties. (Live Science)
Take 4: Microbes in the Arctic are often associated with the dangers of emerging diseases or the release of ancient microorganisms frozen in ice and permafrost that could potentially cause another pandemic. For example, thawing permafrost contributed to an outbreak of anthrax in Siberia that killed thousands of reindeer. Moreover, as the Arctic warms, more species are moving into the previously inhospitable region, potentially bringing their own diseases. The interaction of these species increases the risk of spillover, which is when a disease transmits from one species to another, since Arctic species may have never encountered these pathogens, and vice versa. Recent cases such as the first death of a polar bear due to bird flu and the emergence of Alaskapox illustrate the spread of infectious diseases in the region. While these threats to public health are a serious concern, the new study provides a different perspective, highlighting the potential benefits of Arctic microbes for medicine and global health. The misuse and overuse of antimicrobials have led to the development of drug-resistant pathogens, prompting a critical need for new antibiotics. This study demonstrated that marine actinobacteria from the Arctic could be a viable new source of antibiotics that would strengthen global health security. Therefore, scientists should continue to examine Arctic microbes to both monitor potential threats and potentially identify new solutions for global health risks. (Nature, Polar Journal, The Guardian, World Health Organization)
Equinor Creates Area-Wide Emergency Preparedness Solution
As reported by High North News on August 30, the Norwegian Ocean Industry Authority has approved the establishment of an emergency preparedness solution in the Barents Sea that will become operational on January 1, 2025. The system will be managed by energy firms Equinor and Vår Energi and aims to add new resources to strengthen safety and emergency response in the area. The system will include an all-weather search and rescue helicopter, emergency vessels with oil spill response capabilities, continuous ocean and ice monitoring, mutual agreements with companies in the area, and other capabilities. (High North News)
Take 5: The establishment of an area-wide emergency preparedness solution for the Barents Sea is a useful initiative to strengthen oil spill response, but oil exploration still poses a critical danger to the Arctic ecosystem and local communities. The Arctic’s harsh environment and vast distances can increase the risk of accidents and delay disaster response, resulting in severe and potentially irreversible damage. Although Equinor’s emergency preparedness solution mitigates some of these risks, such as reducing response times by adding new oil spill response capabilities to the immediate area, the Arctic’s unique conditions mean that the potential for a serious incident remains high. Specifically, cold temperatures, low visibility, rough waters, and sea ice coverage can reduce the effectiveness of oil spill equipment or render them impossible to use. In addition, an analysis by the Arctic Council’s Emergency Prevention, Preparedness, and Response(EPPR) Working Group found that overall conditions in the Arctic were more often not favorable to response, and conditions were even more unfavorable in the winter. Given the vulnerability of the Arctic environment, Equinor’s emergency preparedness solution is an important step to enhance emergency response, but more work is needed to prevent crises and reduce the possibility of accidents, especially with growing commercial activity and oil production in the region. Thus, governments and corporations should intensify cooperation to develop more effective mechanisms for emergency prevention and response. (Emergency Prevention, Preparedness, and Response Working Group, Equinor, The Arctic Council, World Wildlife Fund)