Climate warming affects entire lakes

October 18, 2005

Canadian scientists in a University of Alberta study indicate global warming is producing major ecological changes in remote arctic lakes at an alarming rate.

The research is said to be the first to demonstrate a whole lake biological response to warming in the arctic.

Neal Michelutti, a post-doctoral science fellow, said even in the most remote, pristine parts of the Earth -- far from the direct influence of human activities -- changes are occurring in entire ecosystems.

He and his research team used a technique called reflectance spectroscopy to allow them to "see" in wavelengths that the human eye cannot -- the chemical composition of the sediment in six lakes on Baffin Island.

They found major increases in chlorophyll-a concentrations, a good indicator of overall ecosystem production.

What alarms the researchers is the magnitude and timing of the changes. "For the last several thousand years, chlorophyll-a concentrations in our study lakes were very low and showed little variability, until approximately 150 years ago when chlorophyll-a increased rapidly and reached unprecedented levels. The timing of these changes corresponds to the start of the Industrial Revolution," said Michelutti.

The research appears in the current issue of Geophysical Research Letters.

Copyright 2005 by United Press International


Rank not rated yet
Tags

Related Stories
Relevant PhysicsForums posts

More news stories

Europe stakes billion-dollar bet on new rocket

A pencil-slim rocket is scheduled to lift into space from South America on Monday, carrying a billion-dollar bet that Europe can grab a juicy slice of the market to place satellites in low orbit.

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created 54 minutes ago | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

NASA sees wide-eyed cyclone Jasmine

Cyclone Jasmine's eye has opened wider on NASA satellite imagery, as it moves through the Southern Pacific Ocean.

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created 16 hours ago | popularity 3.5 / 5 (2) | comments 2

NASA sees Giovanna reach cyclone strength, threaten Madagascar

Tropical Storm 12S built up steam and became a cyclone on February 10, 2012 as NASA's Terra satellite passed overhead. Residents of east-central Madagascar should prepare for this cyclone to make landfall ...

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created 16 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Humans may have helped the decline of African rainforests 3000 years ago

(PhysOrg.com) -- Large areas of rainforests in Central Africa mysteriously disappeared over three thousand years ago, to be replaced by savannas. The prevailing theory has been that the cause was a change ...

Space & Earth / Environment

created Feb 10, 2012 | popularity 4.3 / 5 (13) | comments 13 | with audio podcast report

Political leaders play key role in how worried Americans are by climate change: study

More than extreme weather events and the work of scientists, it is national political leaders who influence how much Americans worry about the threat of climate change, new research finds.

Space & Earth / Environment

created Feb 06, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (6) | comments 68


Walney offshore wind farm is world's biggest (for now)

(PhysOrg.com) -- The Walney wind farm on the Irish Sea--characterized by high tides, waves and windy weather--officially opened this week. The farm is treated in the press as a very big deal as the Walney ...

GPS court ruling leaves US phone tracking unclear

A US Supreme Court decision requiring a warrant to place a GPS device on the car of a criminal suspect leaves unresolved the bigger issue of police tracking using mobile phones, legal experts say.

Netflix settlement trims 14 pct off 4Q earnings

(AP) -- Netflix pressed the rewind button on its fourth-quarter earnings after settling allegations that the video subscription service violated a consumer-privacy law.

Study finds that anti-diabetic medication can prevent the long-term effects of maternal obesity

In a study to be presented today at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting, in Dallas, Texas, researchers will report findings that show that short therapy with the anti-diabetic medication ...

Elbow position not a predictor of injury

Elbow position alone appeared to not affect injury rates and performance in college-level, male pitchers say researchers presenting at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's Specialty Day in San Francisco, ...

New data provides direction for ACL injured knee treatments

Primary Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) reconstruction improves quality of life and sports functionality for athletes, according to research presented today at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's Specialty ...