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