Climate Change in Arctic Environments (edX)

- You will learn from researchers and staff from a variety of disciplines at the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ International Arctic Research Center and its collaborators.

- An introduction to a variety of areas of expertise, from atmospheric science to traditional knowledge on subsistence calendars, will equip you to understand these complex systems and the knowledge-holders who examine them in detail.

- You will develop a basic understanding of climate change in the circumpolar arctic through examining four primary systems: atmospheric systems, marine systems, terrestrial systems, and human systems.

- Key concepts will be explained with practical Arctic-focused examples including Arctic climate modelling, climate policy, physical properties of the ocean, and more.

- You will learn to trace impacts through those complex systems from physical science, through the biodiversity of flora and fauna, and on to the societies that depend on those resources.

- Key texts to understanding environmental change will be made available to participants with guidance, giving you the skills to understand reports and policies impacting the region.

What you'll learn

- Develop an understanding of climate and Arctic terminology

- Compare the four featured systems in the Arctic: atmospheric, terrestrial, marine, and human

- Demonstrate the connected nature of Arctic systems

- Analyze how those systems interact and affect one another

- Interpret climate science reports such as the US Arctic Report Card, Alaska’s Changing Environment, and others

Syllabus

Week 1: Change in our Arctic Atmosphere

- Atmospheric systems and how climate change affects them across the Arctic

- Temperature and precipitation

- Snow, storms, extreme events, and air quality

- Modeling and climate model projections, downscaled projections

Week 2: Change On and Under the Waves

- Ocean temperature & salinity

- Changes in Arctic sea ice concentration, formation, and thickness

- Ocean currents

- Ocean acidification and ocean change

- The marine food web: algal blooms, fish, marine mammals

- How changes in physical properties impact the entire marine food web

Week 3: Our Changing Terrestrial Environment

- Permafrost and terrestrial snow cover

- Glacial ice

- Vegetation

- Wildfire impacts

- Terrestrial animals and ecosystems

- Birds

- Future changes

Week 4: The Human Element

- History of humans in the Arctic

- Food security

- Governance: local and global policy

- Risk and vulnerability assessments

- Infrastructure

- Adaptation actions and multiple stressors