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High-Tech Software and Unmanned Planes Allow Scientists to Keep Tabs on Arctic Seals

By Guest PostDecember 15, 2010Environment, Natureaerial photos, aircraft, Arctic, arctic ringed seal, atmosphere, bearded, bering sea, cameras, climate scientists, earth, elizabeth weatherhead, four species of arctic seals, greenhouse gases, ice floes, marine, noaa, novel project, peter boveng, polar ecosystems, ribbon seals, ringed, scan eagle, sea ice, seal populations, seals, spotted, temperatures, terrestrial mammals

A novel project using cameras mounted on unmanned aircraft flying over the Arctic is serving double duty by assessing the characteristics of declining sea ice and using the same aerial photos to pinpoint seals that have hauled up on ice floes.

The project is the first to use aircraft to monitor ice and seals in remote areas without putting pilots and observers at risk, said Elizabeth Weatherhead of the University of Colorado at Boulder, who is leading the study team. Weatherhead is a senior scientist at the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, a joint venture of CU-Boulder and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (more…)

Climate Change May Create Tipping Points for Populations, Not Just Species

By Guest PostOctober 23, 2010Environmentalpine, Arctic, biological effects of climate change, climate change, climate warms, daniel doak, duke university, earth, ecological challenges, ecologist, mountains of colorado, national science foundation, new mexico, nsf, plants, plants and animals, saran twombly, william morris

*Researchers measure survival, reproduction of thousands of arctic and alpine plants over six years*

As Earth’s climate warms, species are expected to shift their geographical ranges away from the equator or to higher elevations.

While scientists have documented such shifts for many plants and animals, the ranges of others seem stable. (more…)

‘Arctic Climate May be More Sensitive to Warming than Thought’

By Guest PostJuly 6, 2010Environmentanthropogenic greenhouse, Arctic, ashley ballantyne, atmospheric, beaver pond site, british columbia, canada, carbon dioxide, dara finney, ecosystem, ellesmere island, geology, natalia rybczynski, permineralization, pliocene, strathcona fiord, vancouver

A new study shows the Arctic climate system may be more sensitive to greenhouse warming than previously thought, and that current levels of Earth’s atmospheric carbon dioxide may be high enough to bring about significant, irreversible shifts in Arctic ecosystems.

(more…)

Petroleum in the Arctic

By ShamsJuly 24, 2008EnvironmentArctic, oil and gas reserves, U.S. Geological Survey

Technically recoverable oil and gas reserves are surveyed in the Arctic by the U.S. Geological Survey.

(more…)

Tag Archives: Arctic

High-Tech Software and Unmanned Planes Allow Scientists to Keep Tabs on Arctic Seals

Climate Change May Create Tipping Points for Populations, Not Just Species

‘Arctic Climate May be More Sensitive to Warming than Thought’

Petroleum in the Arctic