Polar regions
The Arctic is the most rapidly warming region of the Earth, leading to a net loss of ice in glaciers and ice sheets and a significant reduction of summer sea ice cover. These changes to land and sea ice are likely to change the currents of the Arctic and lead to a reduction in dense water formation. Dense water formed in the Arctic sinks and flows into the Atlantic, forming part of a global circulation that carries heat around the Earth. The loss of summer sea ice is also likely to impact adversely on certain types of phytoplankton and zooplankton. In contrast, the seas around Antarctica have not exhibited such a clear reduction in summer sea ice cover, although significant warming has been observed on the Antarctic Peninsula. Polar research at NOC is directed at predicting how warming in the polar regions will impact on the global ocean circulation, sea ice extent and drift and polar marine ecosystems.
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Arctic research
The Arctic is presently experiencing the greatest regional warming anywhere on Earth. Glaciers are melting, permafrost is thawing and sea ice is retreating. These changes are transforming the physical properties of the Arctic Ocean such as temperature, mixing and light and, in turn, its ecosystems are being transformed.Read more →
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Arctic regions
The Arctic is cold. Even during summer, the sun shines at low angle and does not bring much heat. During winter, north of the Arctic circle, there will be days or even months when the sun does not rise at all. Because the Arctic is cold, freezing dominates the land and sea. The Greenland ice cap is up to 3 kilometres (km) thick; the ground itself is frozen in Siberia, northern Canada and Alaska; and most of the Arctic Ocean is blanketed, for most of the year, by sea ice. This extreme environment is home to unique animals like the Beluga Whale and the Polar Bear, and is an important part of the global climate system.Read more →
Southern Ocean
The Southern Ocean is unlike any other on the planet. Its uninterrupted passage around Antarctica means it links the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, which in turn gives it a very important role in the Earth’s climate system. Climatic changes in one ocean basin can be ‘transmitted’ to the other basins, via the unending Antarctic Circumpolar Current.
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