Interactive Journey through the Arctic Refuge - Global Warming

A Changing Landscape

There are no roads in the refuge. Visitors must arrive on foot, by air, or in boats, meaning the land is little disturbed by direct human contact. Instead, the Artic landscape bears signs of change from rising global temperatures.

Many of these changes, from receding glaciers to thawing permafrost, were observed and studied during the 2006 expedition to the Artic National Wildlife Refuge.

Comparisons Through Time

For his participation in the 50th Anniversary expedition, University of Wyoming graduate student Forrest McCarthy created a series of “then and now” photographic pairs to analyze differences in Arctic landcover.

His findings document a warming Arctic that is driving landscape-wide changes. The pairs of old and new photos show receding glaciers, decreased aufeis (overflow ice), and increased shrub and tree cover.