The Arctic This Week Take Five: Week of September 24, 2018

Methane Lake in Alaska Spewing Tons of Methane Gas Daily

Aquatic ecosystem ecologist Katey Walter Anthony has recently discovered that a lake in northern Alaska is spewing two tons of methane gas a day into the atmosphere. Putting it into perspective, that’s the equivalent of 6,000 cows passing gas. Lake Esieh was discovered by Walter Anthony in September 2017, and she just completed her second trip to the site. The second expedition which was larger than her first set to test various samples of the gases coming out from the lake. She has discovered many holes within the lake that vary in depth from 15 to 50 ft deep and are belching greenhouse gases from both melting permafrost and older fossil fuels (Independent, Journal Now, Live Science).

Take 1: While it might seem like another climate scare, the amount of methane leaked from this lake and its potential source is troubling. Permafrost holds thousands of years of greenhouse gases, and as it melts it releases those gases back into the atmosphere. This has the potential of increasing global temperatures much sooner than expected. Unlike other permafrost melts, Lake Esieh is also releasing gases from deeper fossil fuels, which lie beneath the permafrost. It’s this hybrid threat that makes this lake in Alaska unique and also worrisome. Walter Anthony’s research indicates that the total impact from greenhouse gas leaks from these types of lakes can be similar to the world adding a couple new large fossil fuel economies. Greenhouse gases from these sources are often left unaccounted for in larger global efforts to reduce its effects. This type of research helps to put all the pieces together in the global climate threat.

Russia Deploys the Bastion Missile Defense System

Earlier this week Russia deployed a Bastion coastal defense missile system (SSC-5)to its base in Kotelny Island. It successfully tested the system on September 26. The Bastion system is designed to engage various surface ships to include landing crafts, carrier battle groups, and convoys. It can also be set to engage land-based targets and is capable of firing both conventional and nuclear warheads. A spokesman for Russia’s Northern Fleet stated that the Bastion was utilized in planned military drills. The drills aimed to test the system’s ability to launch missiles at sea-based targets (Sky News, The Moscow Times).

Take 2: Russia has the right to conduct tests of its military hardware and to train its personnel on the use of such systems. Planned live fire drills are common in many armies around the world. Yet, the capabilities of the Bastion system and its proximity in the Arctic to key shipping routes once again reveals Russia’s desire to exert its control over the area. The fact that this system can launch both conventional and nuclear weapons is something that could present a national security risk to the United States if it was to become permanently stationed on Kotelny Island. It remains to be seen if the U.S. will react to this test.

Arctic Plants Getting Taller

On September 26, Nature published the results of a new Arctic study. 130 scientists from a global scientific collaboration led by the University of Edinburgh studied plants at 117 sites across the Arctic and alpine tundra in Alaska, Canada, Iceland, Scandinavia and Russia. The study relied on more than 60,000 data observations over the past 30 years, and the goal of the project was to better understand how environmental factors shape plant structure and function, and create a publicly available database so that future researchers can ask questions that we can’t anticipate right now. The results reveal that plants, grasses and low-lying shrubs in the Arctic are getting taller because of increasing temperatures and moisture levels. On their current trajectory, the Arctic flora can double in size by the end of the century (BBC, Nature, PHYS).

Take 3: The study is of high importance for understanding how Arctic and alpine vegetation is responding to climate change. Plant growth and expansion could have a significant impact not only on the ecosystem in the Arctic, but also in an increase in the release of greenhouse gases. First, taller Arctic plants trap more snow around them, acting as an insulation cover for the ground from very cold air. This prevents the ground from freezing too hard, and makes it easier for the soils to thaw during summer months and release carbon into the atmosphere. Second, taller tundra plants fuel climate change by sticking their heads above the snow and trapping more heat from the sun because of the darker surface they present.

The Last Game

In May it was decided that the “last ice hockey game in the Arctic” will take place on an ice rink on the North Pole in April 2019. The game is an environmental initiative by the UN Environment, and the teams will include hockey players, sports personalities, Arctic indigenous peoples and youth. It is all part of an effort to raise awareness for the rapidly disappearing ice in the polar regions, and it will be a prelude to the September 2019 UN Climate Summit. The recent update is that last week it was announced that Pope Francis became the honorary captain of the game, and it has been decided that it will also involve politicians, actors, musicians and other public figures (Arctic.ru, Arctic.ru, UN Environment).

Take 4: The hockey game next year is an important event, and it is good that the UN not only involves professional athletes but a range of different people and public figures. It definitely draws attention and support for the rapidly disappearing ice. It is a wake-up call to the world, reminding us that climate models are projecting that the Arctic Ocean will be ice-free by 2040. Once the fragile ecosystem is disturbed it might never recover. Also, changes in the Arctic affect weather patterns across the globe, and can have detrimental effects on humans, societies and nature.

Maersk and Russia Test Future Shipping Lanes

On September 27, a Danish vessel with the name The Venta Maersk, arrived in Saint Petersburg after setting sail from Vladivostok, Russia in late August. It was loaded with 3,600 containers of Russian fish and South Korean electronics, and became the first container ship to have navigated the Russian Arctic, cutting the time of travel with 15 days compared to the conventional route through the Suez Canal (BBC, France 24, The Local).

Take 5: The successful completion of the five weeks journey acts as proof of the concept for the potential long-term use of the Northern Sea route. The route can be viable in the future for shipping if melting continues at its current rate. Currently, the route remains open for larger ships for 3 months, so while this test shows that it can be done, the current costs are still too high for it to be made into a regular occurrence. Russia believes that the route can be made viable by 2050, with Russia and Maersk investing in new technologies, ships and ports it seems that they are both eagerly preparing for that day.