Discover the expert in you.
Discover the expert in you.
Global warming is a hot topic in today's culture, with several predictions by scientists of dramatic weather conditions and changing sea levels. Yet how drastic these changes are in comparison with the history of temperature change requires a closer look at weather patterns from years past.
The Arctic is home to a wide variety of fascinating creatures. Life is abundant along the shorelines of this vast region, despite the harsh conditions. However, the delicate Arctic ecosystem, and the animals that depend upon it, are under increasing threat due to global warming and the shrinking of the Arctic ice.
Many arctic mammals possess the uncanny ability to shed their dark summer coats and replace them with thicker, solid white fur just in time for winter. This ability to blend in with snowy winter surroundings not only helps keep these animals safe from predators, it also enables them to hunt for their own food discretely.
When thinking of the tundra, summer flowers don't generally spring immediately to mind. The snow-blanketed landscapes, bone-numbing cold and long winter nights give the area a reputation of barrenness and austerity. But when spring arrives, the tundra bursts into life, the color and variety of its summer flowers making the most of their short lives. Lingonberries and gooseberries, miniature orchids, sweet vetch, butterwort and Arctic dryas--a relative of the wild rose--all enliven the Arctic landscape during the brief summer months.
The geographic North Pole is the northernmost point on Earth's axis, located at 90 degrees northern latitude. The pole lies on the Arctic ice cap over the 13,410-foot deep Arctic Ocean; there are times when the North Pole is open water.
In the United States, much of the northeast portion of the state of Alaska is within the Arctic Circle. The animals that live in this harsh region of the world must deal with very cold conditions in the winter and very short summers. Many birds use the Arctic as a breeding ground, and several species of mammals live here as well.
Even considering the bitterly cold temperatures of the arctic region, many animals live and thrive in the northern arctic. These animals have adapted to the frigid temperatures and howling winds, and call this part of the world home.
According to Sasks Schools, the arctic region is the most northern point on the planet, beginning at the north pole and ending at the Arctic Circle. Contrary to the connotation of "arctic," this vast region is more than snow and freezing water. It also boasts low hills and rocky, mountainous terrain, flat plains, lakes, rivers, trees and plant life. The arctic is also home to abundant wildlife, some of which can only be found in this cold and rugged world. Populated with birds, mammals, sea mammals and sea life, the arctic is one of the most fascinating and varied places…
