The Arctic as a System

Overview

In this course you will first learn about the Arctic as a geographic region, the peoples the Arctic, and the long history of Arctic settlement and exploration. Attention then turns to key features of the Arctic environment – its climate and weather, features of the ocean, sea ice, lands and the Greenland Ice Sheet, and some of the rapid changes being observed. Learning Objectives: Appreciate the long history of the Arctic and its peoples. Recognize and recall the physical geography of the Arctic, including major features of the Arctic Ocean and Arctic lands. Describe the key climate and environmental elements of the Arctic, including its sea ice cover, patterns of temperature, precipitation, snow cover, land ice, permafrost and vegetation, the physical processes giving rise to these features, and how they are changing.