Climate change is having serious consequences on glaciers around the world. The increase in global temperatures produced by greenhouse gas emissions at the hands of man, is causing the melting of the great polar ice caps around the world.
To reduce the impacts of climate change in polar regions, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has launched a campaign to improve the observation and prediction of its effects on glaciers . This will help reduce future environmental risks and boost economic activity in the polar regions.
Study of the environmental risks of the poles
A network of approximately 200 scientists will conduct a detailed study of the environmental risks of climate change at the poles over the next two years. The aim is to improve weather forecasting systems and predictions of sea ice conditions in Antarctica. These are among the least understood regions in the world, making it crucial to understand how climate change and global warming affect them. Furthermore, the impact of these changes could be decisive for the survival of many species, as discussed in the article on the mammals and birds best positioned to adapt.
The United Nations meteorological agency will establish specific observation periods at the poles to increase monitoring and observation of the effects of climate change at the poles. The Argentine Antarctic Institute and the Alfred Wegener Institute of Germany, among other partners from around the world, will also participate in this surveillance and observation.
The goal is to study the winter and summer of 2018 at the North Pole, while other experts will study the winter of 2019 at the South Pole. The 200 scientists will split up to thoroughly study both of Earth's poles.
Objectives of the plan
The main objectives of this research plan are to reduce environmental risks at the poles, caused primarily by climate change and rising global average temperatures, and to increase the capacity to respond to disasters that may occur in the coming years. To study all the variables that could affect the stability of the poles, it is essential to consider the increasing commercial traffic in polar latitudes. In other words, maritime traffic has certain impacts on the stability of polar ecosystems. Therefore, maritime traffic is a crucial variable to consider when studying predictions of the effects on the poles. For more information on how global warming affects different ecosystems, you can consult the article on deserts threatened by global warming.
Scientists have emphasized the importance of understanding the relationship and connection between the poles and the rest of the world. This is crucial because the poles are key determinants of global temperatures. Without them, and given the current rate of greenhouse gas concentration, average global temperatures would be much higher. Furthermore, scientists have observational systems based on models developed with ice levels far exceeding those used in traditional weather and climate prediction systems. In this respect, observing the poles in the context of climate change is essential.
New facilities
To begin observing and predicting the effects of climate change at the poles, experts are preparing to install new stations to coordinate research methods. These new stations will utilize buoys, weather balloons, satellites, and aircraft.
The focus will be on sea ice conditions along the Northern Sea Route and in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica, and how the sea interacts with the atmosphere. This will allow researchers to observe glacial retreat and its impact on other environmental conditions that make up ecosystems, such as the El Niño phenomenon, which affects temperatures worldwide. Essentially, plant adaptation to climate change must also be considered in this research.
