Alaska's climate has been changing throughout the 20th century and most of the change has occurred due to temperature increases. The overall global warming has caused melting of ice and glaciers, increased stress on ecosystems and subsistence living, and vegetation changes.
Earth has taken two different climate stages throughout time ; the greenhouse Earth and the icehouse Earth. Characteristics of an icehouse Earth include glaciers, cold temperatures at the poles, and obviously ice. Currently, Earth holds all of the characteristics of an icehouse with glaciers in high latitudes and on mountain tops in addition to polar ice covering Antarctica and Greenland; however, within this icehouse Earth climatic changes are occurring. Throughout the last few centuries, Earth’s temperature has been slowly increasing which is especially apparent near polar regions. Continental ice sheets and glaciers are thawing and retreating at faster rates, and carbon dioxide levels are the highest they have been in millions of years. These climatic changes are becoming more apparent in Alaska and are causing change in some major aspects of Alaskan culture and life. Increasing harm is coming to vegetation and animal life, Alaskan subsistence communities are falling under intensified stress, and precious permafrost and ice are thawing and melting away. Alaska is changing quickly and seemingly without end.
Alaskan Climate Change Sites:
