The Daily Bulletin Archive

By Mary A. Durlak

What will the Arctic look like in 2030? An April lecture series, “Arctic: The Unexpected Frontier,” will explore the multidisciplinary issues that are being raised as the polar ice cap shrinks.

“As the ice melts and water levels rise, the boundaries of the land and the ocean are changing,” said Charlotte Roehm, assistant professor of geography and planning and research scientist with the Great Lakes Center. “We wanted to have a series of lectures to present the economic and political issues as well as the environmental issues.”

Eight nations claim land within the Arctic Circle: Canada, the United States, Russia, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, and Greenland, which is part of Denmark. Stephen Vermette, professor of geography and planning, will present “The Arctic: Exploring Its Lands and Peoples” on Thursday, April 15, at 12:15 p.m. in Bacon Hall 115.

“I’ll talk about regional geography of the peoples and lands to lay a foundation for the other presentations,” said Vermette.

The second presentation, “Arctic Meltdown? Environmental Impacts of a Climate Change,” will take place on Tuesday, April 20, at 12:15 p.m. in Bacon Hall 115. Roehm, a biogeochemist and hydrologist, will discuss the changes she has seen firsthand in the Arctic in both Canada and Sweden, where she spent a year doing research.

“The snowfall has decreased in some areas, as evidenced by both research and by the firsthand recounts of the Sami,” said Roehm. “The Sami, the area’s indigenous people, have witnessed a change in their environment.” She will also discuss other regional and global implications.

Roehm’s research focuses on the carbon and nutrients contained in the ice and permafrost of the Arctic. “That carbon has accumulated over thousands of years,” she said. “As the ice and permafrost melt, the carbon and nutrients are released. Bacterial processes convert the carbon to carbon dioxide and methane, two main gases contributing to climate change.”

Roehm’s research to date suggests that perhaps up to half the carbon that is released from such stores is lost back to the atmosphere through such a process within both terrestrial and aquatic environments. “We really don’t have answers,” she said. “Because the change in the Arctic is so rapid, scientists are just beginning to identify pieces of the puzzle.”

However, political questions and sovereignty issues have already been raised among the eight Arctic nations. “Boundaries are defined by extent of terrestrial landforms,” said Roehm. “What happens to the territorial boundaries as the water levels change?” Already, the Northwest Passage—a seagoing route along the northern coast of North America—is more navigable, raising questions about governance of such shipping.

An internationally renowned expert on Arctic sovereignty and security will present the third lecture, “The Political Impacts of a Warmer and Ice-Reduced Arctic,” on Friday, April 23, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. in Bulger Communication Center North 2A. Franklyn Griffiths, professor emeritus of political science and George Ignatieff Chair Emeritus of Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Toronto, has published widely on issues relating to Canadian sovereignty and international cooperation in the Arctic region.

“We hope to interest other people from campus in Arctic issues,” said Roehm, “and perhaps spark more interdisciplinary research in the region.” Roehm was instrumental in obtaining funding from the Faculty-Student Association for the series, which is also sponsored by the Geography and Planning Department.