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Increase Your Albedo!
Exploring the Fate
of Arctic Sea Ice
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What is Albedo?
Albedo is the fraction of solar radiation
incident on a surface that is reflected.
In plain terms, albedo is the ability of a
surface to reflect the suns radiation. Your
white t-shirt has a higher albedo than your
darker ones thats why it keeps you coolin the summer!
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Pop Quiz!
Guess which terrestrial surface type has the
most albedo (reflects more sunlight than
it absorbs).
Albedo is expressed as a percentage of
reflected radiation (0.1 or 10%)
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Pop Quiz
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The Big Picture
The Earth as a whole
reflects about 30% of
incoming solarradiation back into
space
Clouds and snow/ice
each have an albedo ofroughly 80%
NASA
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So What?
Clouds and ice are
basically the
thermostats of theplanet
Theyre regulating the
temperature of the
Earth by reflectingmuch of the solar
radiation it receives CASES
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Whats Going On?
The United Nations Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has
made some startling observations:Arctic sea-ice extent has decreased by 3% per decade between 1978-1996
Summer sea-ice extent has shrunk by 20% (880,000 sq. km) in the
Atlantic part of the Arctic OceanArctic air temperature has risen by as much as 5C during the 20th
century with the last decade being the warmest
There is consistent evidence of later Fall freeze-up and earlier Spring
breakup
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Whats Next?
Loss of sea ice (80%albedo) gives way to water(3-5% albedo)!
This net loss of albedoresults in further heatabsorption at Earthssurface, resulting in moresea ice melting, resulting
in more warming
Its a positive feedbackloop!
CASES
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Whats CASES?
The Canadian Arctic Shelf Exchange Study
A Canadian-led international research networkmade up more than 70 researchers from Canada
and 9 other countries Goal: Understand and model the response of
biogeochemical and ecological cycles toatmospheric, oceanic and continental forcing of
sea-ice cover variability on the Mackenzie Shelf In simpler terms: Study the effects of changing
sea-ice cover on the Arctic environment!
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Mackenzie Shelf
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The Amundsen
Inauguration: August 26, 2003 in Qubec City Named after Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen: 1st to
navigate Northwest Passage from 1903-1906 and to reachthe South Pole in 1911
Only Canadian ship to have full-time dual role of
icebreaking and scientific research
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The Amundsen
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Large-scale density-driven circulation in the oceans, driven bydifferences in temperature and salinity. Cold salty water sinks and
warmer water rises.
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Maximum and Minimum Ice
Minimum in Fall(September)
Maximum in Spring(March)
Ice no longer extendsas far and now retreats
further Whats in store for the
future?
CASES
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Present and Future Ice Cover
March SeptemberMarch September
Today 2050 CASES
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Whats in Store for Nanook?
Ice freezes later and
melts sooner: Less
feeding time Seals fewer and
farther out: Longer
distance to feed
More open water:
Fatigue from
swimming
NFB-ONF
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The Northwest Passage
CASES
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Passage Pioneers
Roald Amundsen, August1905, first successfulnavigation. Aboard theGjoa (Oslo-Pacific).
St-Roch, 1944, NorthernDeep-Water Route.
Sedna IV, August-
November 2002, sailedfrom Magdalen Island toVancouver.
Whats next?
CASES
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Oslo to Tokyo
Total travel distance for a one-way trip from Norway toJapan:
Via Panama Canal: 24 000 km
Via Cape Horn: 35 000 km Via Suez Canal (Asian Route): 21 500 km
Via Northwest Passage: 14 500 km
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Activity
We will be drawing the most efficient (and
realistic) route between the southern tip of
Greenland to the Bering Strait!1. Groups of 4 (or more).
2. You will need: String, Adhesive, Ruler.
3. Try to draw your own way across the Northwest
Passage by navigating the shortest distance.
4. Good Luck!
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Discussion