Viking Artifacts Discovered Under Melting Ice!!

Here is a video of the discovery of Viking artifacts that have been recovered as a result of the melting of sea ice near one of Norway's tallest mountains.

















Here is a Google map of the location of the Museum of Natural History and Archaeology, Norway. This museum contains artifacts found under the ice sheets.

View Location of Viking Artifacts Found Under Melting Ice in a larger map
  

I think this a great find for archaeologists as it can enhance the existing chronologies of what tools/ artifacts were being used at the time. This discovery can lead to mixed opinions of whether or not the melting of the ice in this region is beneficial. For example, although it does allow for advancements in archaeology, it also results in extensive loss of habitat for animals that depend on the ice as a primary element of their niche. The work to remove the artifacts is described as a race against time. Many of the artifacts are made of wood and thus are prone to decay and erosion as they are no longer protected in the frozen ice. These discoveries are clearly indicative of the fact that the ice is indeed retreating/melting at an alarming rate. Feel free to state your opinion on the matter in the comment section below.

Sea Ice Melting and Habitat Loss for the Polar Bear; Are we entirely at fault?

In recent years, the melting of the sea ice in the sub-polar and polar regions of the globe has sparked an influx of researchers to try and further the understanding of climate change and global warming. These two terms (climate change and global warming) are often used interchangeably and which is a common misconception as these are different processes. Climate change refers to the increase in CO2/greenhouse gas emissions which has resulted in immense changes to global weather patterns. Events such as droughts, hurricanes, and flash floods seem to be increasing in frequency. Global warming on the other hand refers to the average rise in global temperatures also due to greenhouse gas emissions. Sea ice has a very high albedo (ability to reflect) and as such, the melting of polar ice caps/glaciers allows for more radiation to be trapped in the atmosphere of our planet, causing temperatures to increase. The increase in greenhouse gases can be attributed to human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation to facilitate expansion and economic growth. Moreover,  sea ice melting has caused a global increase in sea level in recent years and levels can be expected to fluctuate in the future.

Climate change has resulted in extensive habitat loss for many species and organisms which thrive in these chilling conditions including Polar Bears, Penguins and Seals. The loss of habitat has resulted in a negative feedback mechanism in which the prey and the predators are now facing extirpation (being confined to an area) and hardships with respect to both breeding and feeding. These hardships are undoubtedly negatively affecting the survival rates for the species which utilize these regions. Recent studies have suggested that the melting of the sea ice has resulted in the expansion of the  territorial ranges of the polar bear. What do you think are some of the implications for the polar bear and other species in the polar regions as a reult of the amount of sea ice that is melting? 

Defining Climate Change

Climate Change Blog, 2011

Hello, this is my first post and the topic for discussion is climate change. This topic can further be broken down into sub topics such as: the negative implications of human industrialization in relation
to carbon dioxide emissions, the earth's trends of CO2 emissions from natural causes and the changes our planet is facing in regards to shifts in extreme weather patterns. The climate change debate has been a topical subject in recent years for many scientists as well as the general population because this issue is truly universal. Climate change is affecting the earth in many ways and as a result there has been a huge push to understand all of its implications. So what do you guys think, is climate change a natural phenomon or are we as a species directly impacting the levels of C02 in the atmosphere?

For more supplementary information regarding climate change please refer to the following links:

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_change

2.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52KLGqDSAjo

3. (For UVic students)
Degrees of Change: Warming and the Stakes for Canada
This article by Linda Halsey and Dale Vitt provides great insight into some of the causes of warming and the increase in CO2 production due to human expansion and industrialization. Furthermore, the article discusses the shift towards trends in disequilibrium and the effects of increased mean global temperatures on the rates of sea ice melting and permafrost thawing.

4. (Also for UVic students)
I would also recommend checking out this article:
Climate change and forest fires
http://www.sciencedirect.com.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6V78-41GWN77-3&_user=1007916&_coverDate=11%2F15%2F2000&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=gateway&_origin=gateway&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000050229&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=1007916&md5=4f898632074113684096422c4324dcbc&searchtype=a

This article discusses the impacts of climate change on the increasing rates of wildfires in both the United States and Canada.