North American Arctic

Map of the Arctic Circle and July isotherm. The North American Arctic is on the left
Main article: Arctic

The North American Arctic is composed of the northern polar regions of Alaska (USA), Northern Canada and Greenland.[1] Major bodies of water include the Arctic Ocean, Hudson Bay, the Gulf of Alaska and North Atlantic Ocean.[2] The North American Arctic lies above the Arctic Circle.[3] It is part of the Arctic, which is the northernmost region on Earth. The western limit is the Seward Peninsula and the Bering Strait. The southern limit is the Arctic Circle latitude of 66° 33’N, which is the approximate limit of the midnight sun and the polar night.[4]

The Arctic region is defined by environmental limits where the average temperature for the warmest month (July) is below 10 °C (50 °F). The northernmost tree line roughly follows the isotherm at the boundary of this region.[3] The climate of the region is known to be intensely cold during the year due to its extreme polar location.[5] The area has tundra, Arctic vegetation,[3] glaciers, and, for most of the year, is covered in thick blankets of snow and ice.[5]

It is home to various species of plants, and land, air and marine animals.[6] Due to the severe weather conditions, the region's flora and fauna has had to adapt to survive.[6] In addition to the extreme climate, permafrost and short growing seasons means that trees are unable to grow.[3] The indigenous peoples who migrated from other lands and settled in the North American Arctic also had to adapt to living conditions.[5] Their population has declined since then, however.[5][page needed]

Climate change in the Arctic has caused the region to feel the effects of global warming, with sea levels and temperatures rising, and a changing wildlife population.[4] Marine ecosystems are struggling under increasing pressure from changes in sea ice characteristics.[7] The effects of climate change have also impacted the human population whose way of living and working is facing pressure from the effects as they are finding it challenging to adapt.[4]

  1. ^ "The North American Arctic". UCL Press. Retrieved 2020-07-28.
  2. ^ Emery, K. O. (1949). "Topography and Sediments of the Arctic Basin". The Journal of Geology. 57 (5): 512–521. Bibcode:1949JG.....57..512E. doi:10.1086/625664. ISSN 0022-1376. JSTOR 30057600.
  3. ^ a b c d Daniels, Fred J.A.; Bultmann, Helga; Lunterbusch, Christoph; Wilhelm, Maike (2000). "Vegetation zones and biodiversity of the North-American Arctic" (PDF).
  4. ^ a b c Allen, Thad W.; Whitman, Christine Todd; Brimmer, Esther (2017). "The Arctic Region". Arctic Imperatives: 5–8.
  5. ^ a b c d "The Arctic Environment" (PDF). National Wildlife Federation.
  6. ^ a b Poles Apart: A Study in Contrasts. University of Ottawa Press. 1999. JSTOR j.ctt1cn6rbs.
  7. ^ Barber, David (2013–2014). "Sea Ice, Climate Change and the Marine Ecosystem" (PDF). ArcticNet.