New research conducted by BEPSII, a community of international experts of which Bruno Delille (FOCUS Research Unit/Faculty of Sciences) of ULiège is a member, details the probable consequences of the disappearance of the Arctic sea ice and underlines the urgent need for further research to inform future decisions and climate modelling. This research has been published in the journal Nature Climate Change.
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lobal warming is changing the glacial landscape of the Arctic. Sea ice, that layer of ice formed by frozen water on the surface of the oceans is melting faster and faster. This disappearance is likely to have a cascading effect on biogeochemical cycles, climatic processes and the life forms that depend on this sea ice. This is the message of a vast study carried out by the BEPSII (Biogeochemical Exchange Processes at Sea-Ice Interfaces) scientific community, including Bruno Delille, a FNRS Research associate at the Chemical Oceanography Unit (FOCUS Research Unit / Faculty of Sciences) of the University of Liège. In this study, we underline the fact that it is urgent to take into account the biogeochemical processes associated with sea ice in climate models," explains Bruno Delille. These processes, which transport and transform a chemical (such as CO2 and methane) between the hydrosphere and the atmosphere, have a considerable impact on the transformation of the Arctic landscape and its ecosystems. »
Sea ice plays a significant role in the sequestration of greenhouse gases, in particular. Melting of the latter risks not only promoting the release of these gases into the atmosphere, which will have a significant impact on global warming (rising sea levels) but also on Arctic biodiversity. At the base of the food chain, a warmer and sunnier Arctic will allow phytoplankton to be more productive, but to the detriment of ice algae with an impact on biodiversity. "Overall, emblematic Arctic species such as beluga whales, polar bears and polar cod will decline as their habitat shrinks and will be replaced by sub-polar species better adapted to the new conditions," says Bruno Delille.
A better understanding of the complex interactions taking place in the Arctic will provide more accurate representations of the influence of Arctic changes in global climate models and improve forecasting capabilities.
The reduction in sea ice extent also has implications for resource conservation and management, as it will lead to increased human pressure on Arctic wildlife through shipping, oil and gas exploration, fishing and tourism. "Studies such as ours are therefore fundamental to the development of effective marine governance programmes for the future," concludes the researcher. For all these reasons, the researchers argue in favour of intensifying long-term observations and better inclusion of sea-ice processes in climate models. According to BEPSII, the current lack of inclusion of biogeochemical processes associated with sea ice in climate models is worrying and may well give us a truncated vision of an already bleak future.
Lannuzel & al, "The Future of Biogeochemistry of Arctic Sea Ice and Ice-Associated Ecosystems", Nature Climate Change, 27 Oct. 2020.
This project represents an innovative approach to urban planning and management. For example, it will enable the City of Liège to monitor tree planting as part of its Canopée plan.
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Xavier Raick a brillamment réussi son doctorat et a reçu la pleine reconnaissance de sa qualité au travers du Prix “Oceanography and Oceans Protection”.
