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Epic blazes threaten Arctic permafrost. Can fire-fighters save it?

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Fire season is approaching in the massive Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge in east Alaska, where fires have long been allowed to burn unchecked unless they threaten human life and property. But as climate change increases the frequency of these fires, the land’s overseers are changing course. Working with scientists, refuge managers have designed a pilot programme to parachute elite firefighting teams into remote areas to quash infernos — to protect not people but permafrost.

The forests and tundra of the Denmark-sized refuge cloak a deep layer of permafrost, frozen ground that holds enormous quantities of carbon across the Northern Hemisphere. After fires remove vegetation and soils, however, that frozen ground often begins to thaw, releasing its stores of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. New research1 suggests that the resulting emissions, from both the fires themselves and the subsequent permafrost thaw, could be on par with those of a major global economy over the course of this century. This could effectively reduce by up to 20% the amount of carbon dioxide that humanity can emit and still meet its goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 °C above preindustrial levels. The research has not yet been peer reviewed.

These numbers suggest that a rethink of longstanding fire policies in high-latitude boreal forests — where recovery after frequent fires could take decades if it happens at all — might be needed, says Brendan Rogers, an earth-systems scientist with the Woodwell Climate Research Center in Falmouth, Massachusetts. The pilot programme at Yukon Flats represents a test of that idea in an area where permafrost is particularly vulnerable.

“What we’re talking about is aggressive attacks on fires when they ignite in these areas,” Rogers says. Once such fires get going, he adds, it’s often too late. “That carbon is lost.”

Earth ablaze

The proposal to suppress boreal fires to help fight climate change follows years of increasingly frequent and intense conflagrations that have raged across northern forests and Arctic peatlands. According to estimates, the wildfires in Canada’s boreal forests last year released more than three times as much carbon dioxide as the entire country emitted from burning fossil fuels. Officials at Yukon Flats, for example, say that the frequency of major fires on the refuge has quadrupled since 1988.

A rise in fire frequency can have cascading effects on the ecosystem, and thus carbon, says Xanthe Walker, an ecologist at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, who has studied the effect of fires on permafrost. Historically, boreal forests have burnt once every 70–120 years, she says, which gives the black-spruce forest that dominates the ecosystem enough time to regenerate and rebuild carbon in the soil. More-frequent fires can burn ‘legacy’ carbon that has accumulated over centuries2 and can also kill off the black spruce (Picea mariana). That provides an opening for leafy deciduous trees, which do not promote the kind of carbon-rich soils that insulate permafrost.

Emissions win

Fire suppression could help to stave off some of these effects, buying humanity time to address the climate crisis. In a 2022 paper3, researchers at Woodwell and the Union of Concerned Scientists, a non-profit organization in Cambridge, Massachusetts, found that fire-suppression efforts in Alaska tend to reduce the total area burnt. Their calculations suggest that investing in fire suppression could reduce carbon emissions at a lower cost than that of many technologies for reducing industrial emissions. With an investment of around US$700 million annually in suppression over the next decade, Alaska alone could reduce carbon emissions by up to 3.9 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide through mid-century. That is more than the annual greenhouse-gas emissions of the European Union.

Smoke billows from three small fires burning in the autumn landscape around the Yukon River in this true-color image from September 15, 2010.

Smoke billows from fires burning in the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Alaska.Credit: NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC

The idea that governments can or should attempt fire suppression in remote boreal forests has encountered some scepticism, owing in part to the scale of the challenge. Fires also play an important part in the ecosystem, and research shows that suppression efforts allow fuel to build up in many forests, contributing to increasingly intense fires4.

Still, because of the looming climate crisis, many researchers say that the suppression efforts at the Yukon Flats might be worthwhile. “Stopping fires across the boreal forests is an impossible feat, but targeted suppression in areas that are vulnerable seems like a great strategy,” says Walker.

A refuge for permafrost

The pilot project at Yukon Flats began last year in eight areas covering nearly 650,000 hectares of land. Those zones account for 19% of the refuge and include 40% of the land underlain by a uniquely vulnerable type of permafrost called Yedoma, which contains deep ice wedges that often melt after fires. This causes the land to collapse, exposing ancient carbon to microbes whose activity releases greenhouse gases.

The target areas contain some 1.1 billion tonnes of carbon, which, if released, would be equivalent to around seven years of emissions from US coal burning.

Yukon Flats refuge manager Jimmy Fox says that he decided to move forward with the project after consulting with scientists and firefighters. He also involved Indigenous communities that own some 1.2 million hectares of land in the refuge in the discussion. These communities have voiced concerns about wildfire smoke and the negative effects of the fires on water quality and on the land used for hunting, berry picking and other subsistence activities.

Under the pilot programme, firefighters will be deployed on fires that start early in the season and have the potential to burn for several months. Firefighters will engage only if they determine that they can put out the fires within three days, so as to minimize costs and the use of firefighting resources.

Fox notes that Yedoma permafrost zones that burned decades ago and then collapsed is slowly beginning to recover as vegetation thickens and produces carbon-rich soils that once again insulate the ice below. But with rising temperatures and increasing fire frequency, he says, the danger is that these areas will reach a tipping point at which point recovery would no longer possible.

Ultimately, the goal is to hold fires to a more historic level. It could be a few decades before scientists can determine whether the effort pays off, Fox warns, “but we have to try”.

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changing Arctic fjord hints at our climate future

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Far north of the Arctic Circle lies a fjord on the front lines of climate change. Geir Wing Gabrielsen has been visiting this inlet, located on the northwest side of the Norwegian archipelago Svalbard, since 1981, when he first came to study the behaviour of Arctic birds. It used to be that each year when the ecotoxicologist would arrive in May or June — springtime in Svalbard — he could count on one thing: that the fjord would still be locked in ice.

But all of that has changed.

The Arctic is warming four times as fast as the rest of the world owing to climate change. And because of a quirk of ocean currents, the fjord, called Kongsfjorden, is warming even faster (see ‘Current situation’). So much so that, since 2006, it no longer freezes over — even when the Sun sets during the winter months, between October and February.

Current situation: Location of Kongsfjorden in Svalbard, Norway and the currents from Atlantic and Arctic coastal waters.

Source: Buchholz, F., Buchholz, C. M. & Weslawski, J. M. Polar Biol. 33. 101–113 (2009).

This has completely reshaped the fjord’s ecosystem, according to a study in Polish Polar Research published in January1. Arctic mammals such as beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) and ringed seals (Phoca hispida) that once called the fjord home have left. Meanwhile, more southerly animals including Atlantic puffins (Fratercula arctica) and Atlantic mackerels (Scomber scombrus) have moved in. And new habitats have popped up along the shoreline where sea ice once suffocated plant growth.

For researchers such as Gabrielsen, at the University Centre in Svalbard, these changes are met with a sense of loss. But they are also viewed as an opportunity. The fjord “will provide information about how the Arctic will be in the future”, Gabrielsen says. And it could help to answer the big questions of which species will survive the shifting climate in the Arctic, and how.

“It’s incredible that I — in my time — have been able to see such dramatic changes,” he says.

Safe instruction of students from the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) standing Kongsfjorden sea-ice in April 2005.

As shown in this photo from April 2005, Kongsfjorden used to freeze over enough during springtime for students and researchers to safely walk on it.Credit: Kim Holmén

Vanishing Ice

Kongsfjorden, meaning ‘king’s fjord’, is arguably the best-studied Arctic fjord in the world. Norway established its first Arctic research station there in the 1960s in what was then the mining community of Ny-Ålesund. Since then, 11 other nations, including Germany, China and India, have set up camp there.

The density of research activity in the fjord has made it possible to track its environmental changes in detail. The eastern reach of Svalbard is pummeled by an Arctic current that keeps its frigid temperatures stable. Meanwhile, the western reach — where Kongsfjorden sits — is exposed to an offshoot of the Atlantic Gulf Stream. As a result, the fjord’s winter water temperature rose from 0.3 ºC in 2004 to 4 ºC in 2017. The most obvious effect of the warmer water hitting Kongsfjorden is the rapid retreat of its glaciers, says Kai Bischof, a marine biologist at the University of Bremen in Germany.

An aerial view of the town of Ny-Alesund near Kongsfjord, Svalbard, Norway, April 6, 2023, with snow and a fjord in the background.

A view of Ny-Ålesund from April 2023 showing the fjord free of sea ice.Credit: Lisi Niesner/Reuters

“If you go there, like me, every other year, you can really see the changes,” Bischof adds. He remembers how, in the 1990s, a retreating glacier revealed a surprise: a piece of land once covered in ice and marked on maps as a peninsula turned out to be an island. Scientists can now comfortably motor around it in boats. “The rate of change is accelerating,” Bischof says.

Out with the old, in with the new

Kongsfjorden has become something of a pilgrimage for politicians seeking to understand global warming. Both former UN secretary general Ban Ki-Moon and former US secretary of state John Kerry have toured the fjord. The rapidly changing landscape makes it “a place where you can really experience the changing climate through your eyes”, says Bischof.

The fjord has already taught researchers that the Arctic is susceptible to tipping points. When it failed to ice over in 2006, it “was a great wake-up call”, Gabrielsen says.

But determining how exactly climate change will scramble the fjord’s ecosystem is a bit more difficult.

Researchers have so far recorded the effects on some species. For instance, ringed seals have mostly left the fjord because, without any sea ice in which to build their dens during the spring, their pups were exposed to predatory birds. In 2023, scientists recording the living symphony of the fjord also noted that the frequency of whale songs had diminished, compared with Svalbard’s northeast coast2.

Kittiwakes feeding in front of the glacier near Kongsfjorden, Svalbard.

Black-legged kittiwakes feed in Kongsfjorden.Credit: Geir Wing Gabrielsen

Meanwhile, some opportunistic species have moved onto the scene. Atlantic mackerels were first spotted in September 2013. The Atlantic puffin, spotted occasionally in the 1980s, is now thriving in Kongsfjorden. And a 19-year survey3 of the stomach contents of black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) in the fjord — a type of seabird in the gull family — suggests that, since around 2006, they have started to feast on a wide array of Atlantic fish that seem to have relocated, including Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus), capelin (Mallotus villosus) and Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua).

The presence of these southern migrants seems to support the hypothesis that the Arctic will become more and more similar to the North Atlantic Ocean, a process aptly called Atlantification.

Arctic adapters

Some newcomers to Kongsfjorden present a challenge for researchers. Luisa Düsedau, a molecular biologist at the Alfred Wegner Institute in Bremerhaven, Germany, says that she and her colleagues now need to keep a watch out for polar bears (Ursus maritimus) as they walk the shoreline to collect specimens such as algae and kelp.

A polar bear eats common eider eggs near Kongsfjorden, Svalbard.

Polar bears now come into the fjord to eat the eggs of eiders along the shoreline.Credit: Geir Wing Gabrielsen

Once upon a time, these massive marine mammals would rarely come into the fjord. But with there being less and less sea ice — which polar bears rely on to hunt — the animals have started shifting tactics. Last summer, according to Gabrielsen, an unprecedented 20 polar bears and cubs travelled to the fjord to eat the eggs of common eiders (Somateria mollissima) and barnacle geese (Branta leucopsis) nesting along the shore.

Polar bears aren’t the only new thing on the shoreline. Scientists used to have a hard time studying anything growing along the tide line because of the sea ice covering it for a large chunk of the year. They also assumed that the ice would prevent most plants from growing there, because it would scrape away anything that tried to take root. Today, thick strands of kelp and algae — some species entirely new to science, according to Düsedau — are flourishing.

Luisa Dusedau working in the intertidal zone of Hansneset in Kongsfjorden in June 2021.

Molecular biologist Luisa Düsedau works along the tide line of Kongsfjorden, where you can now see kelp and algae, in 2021.Credit: Nele Schimpf

“It’s like a tiny forest” that forms a home for crabs, worms, snails and many other creatures that used to live on the sea floor, says Düsedau. “It’s blooming.”

The growth is a reminder that nature can adapt, she says. But she also emphasizes that it used to be difficult to know what was actually under the sea ice, especially during the harsh conditions of winter.

With the shifting environment, that is changing. Researchers are trying to establish a baseline for what typically lives in the fjord so that they can systematically bear witness as the ecosystem continues to evolve.

Two years ago, for instance, polar ecologist Charlotte Havermans, also at the Alfred Wegner Institute, travelled with a team to Kongsfjorden to learn whether jellyfish stayed active during the polar winter. The researchers didn’t know whether they would succeed. But upon shining their headlamps into the dark, now-uncovered water, “we saw so many jellyfish”, she says, “it was incredible”. She adds: “There were so many more species in the winter than we thought.” Not only that, but the team found jellyfish DNA in the stomachs of amphipods — tiny crustaceans — also spending the winter in the fjord. It was the first time scientists had spotted Arctic amphipods naturally feeding on jellyfish, and suggested that the jellies play a much bigger part in the winter food chain that previously thought4.

(L-R): Annkathrin Dischereit, Charlotte Havermans and Ayla Murray, researchers at the Alfred Wegener Institute, observe a jellyfish caught in the harbor of Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard.

Polar ecologist Charlotte Havermans (centre) and team sample amphipods in the water of Kongsfjorden during winter 2022.Credit: Alfred-Wegener-Institut/Esther Horvath

Kongsfjorden is powerful because it serves as a visual reminder of the power that climate change has to reshape the world, says Gabrielsen. Some 40 years ago, “I was so fascinated” by the fjord’s beauty, he says. Now, “I have grandchildren, and I wonder if they will be able to see what I have seen”.

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Huawei has a game-changing 10 Petabyte storage product — OceanStor Arctic uses exciting new technology that can beat tape AND hard drives

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According to recent estimates, around 328.77 million terabytes of data are created each day. Storing that data is a challenge, so it’s no wonder that we’re seeing a number of new high-capacity storage technologies being introduced. In the past few months alone we’ve reported on a ceramic cartridge with a 10,000TB capacity, a 200TB optical disc, and Micron’s NVDRAM, which outperforms NAND-based SSDs in terms of speed and durability.

At a keynote speech at MWC 2024, Huawei’s Dr. Peter Zhou took the wraps off a number of new data storage solutions being introduced by the company. OceanStor A800 and OceanStor A310 are designed to make “AI training data globally visible, manageable, and available, and improves data collection, preprocessing, and training efficiency”, while OceanProtect E8000 and X9000 are data backup appliance solutions.

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Arctic Air Pure Chill Air Cooler: Get the Best Air Quality

The Arctic Air Pure Chill personal air cooler offers respite from the heat and dry air. The key is Hydro-Chill Technology, which uses evaporative cooling to turn hot air into a chilly, pleasant ambiance.

Because an air cooler cools fresh air, the air quality in the region it supplies is substantially improved. Humidification also helps reduce the space’s temperature and enhances the air quality. Because it does not recycle the same air in a restricted area, an air cooler is better than an air conditioner for persons with difficulty breathing or allergies.

While air coolers will surely give a more pleasant temperature than previously, it is still being determined to what extent this will be accomplished. On the other hand, air conditioners give you much control over the atmosphere since you can rotate the vents and choose from various temperature settings, cooling modes, and fan speeds.

Air conditioners work in all climates and humidity levels because they cool an enclosed room by cycling the same air through the system many times, bringing it down to the desired temperature. Air conditioning (AC) systems work just as well in humid settings as in dry ones, making them excellent for the monsoon season and India’s damp coastal areas. The Arctic Air Pure Chill portable air conditioner always keeps its clients cool and comfortable.

According to the makers, the Arctic Air Pure Chill cooler may be used anywhere to improve air quality significantly. It will not only cool it, but it will also moisten it. As a result, the gadget is suitable for those who suffer from allergies. You may either acquire extra portable air conditioners or shift your current one to a different room if you want your family to be comfortable in the air conditioning.

If you keep reading, you’ll discover more in-depth information on this revolutionary Air Cooler causing quite a stir in the market.

Related: Chill Box Portable AC Reviews – ChillBox Air Cooler Really Works?

What Is Arctic Air Pure Chill Air Cooler?

The Arctic Air Pure Chill personal air cooler offers respite from the heat and dry air. The key is Hydro-Chill Technology, which uses evaporative cooling to turn hot air into a chilly, pleasant ambiance. To use, fill the top tank with water, plug it in, and turn it on. It’s as straightforward as it gets. Arctic Air Pure Chill contains adjustable air vents, allowing you to direct the cold air in whatever direction. Because of its compact shape, it may fit on a desk, bedside table, or even a coffee table. Arctic Air Pure Chill transforms heated air into wet, chilling air using Hydro-Chill® Technology and two cooling jets. Use it in your garage, RV, dorm room, office, waiting area, reading nook, and anywhere else. It’s also an excellent option for traveling.

Intel’s Arctic Air Pure Chill Evaporative Air Cooler is a powerful three-speed personal space cooler that is silent, lightweight, and portable, making it suitable for various environments. The quantity of cooling that happens is determined by multiple variables, including the ambient temperature and humidity, as well as the settings you choose.

Arctic Air Pure Chill® 2.0 uses evaporative cooling to reduce the air temperature. When the temperature is higher and the relative humidity is lower, evaporation occurs more often and has a more significant cooling effect. You may alter the settings to get the desired level of cooling.

Consumers are loading up on new, high-demand devices such as the Arctic Air Pure Chill as they prepare for another hot, humid summer. This is because the Arctic Air Pure Chill has more complex functionality and improved, modern designs than prior personal portable air conditioners. The device’s power and external conditions influence how much the temperature varies.

The gap will be considerably more significant in high-humidity environments than in dry, hot ones. The new Arctic Air Pure Chill® 2.0 system is ideal for tiny homes and workplaces. Its cooling properties will assist the kitchen, living room, and office rooms. Fill it with water and freeze it to produce an Ice Boost. Slide the Ice Boost into the holder and attach it to the back of the Arctic Air Pure Chill 2.0. The Ice Boost can produce even colder air in an instant.

Features Of Arctic Air Pure Chill Air Cooler

Explore below the feature of Arctic Air Pure Chill Air Cooler:

Effective both inside and outside

This gadget is commonly used inside to chill and humidify the air, although it may be used anyplace. This may be a fantastic option if you want to spend time in your garden or on your balcony on a hot day but don’t want to sweat excessively. If you wish to use this gadget outside, remember that you’ll need to be close to a power source.

Refrigerator-like performance

Heated air is rapidly converted to cold, pleasant air using an evaporative air conditioning filter and Hydro Chill technology; the multidirectional air vent allows you to direct the airflow anywhere you choose.

kills a high proportion of the microorganisms

Allergens and bacteria are eliminated at up to 99.9% when heated air is passed through the Arctic Air Pure Chill air cooler. The allergies and germs in the water you pour into your gadget’s tank will be gone once you use it. As a result, you can be sure that the air emitted by this cooler presents little to no risk to your health.

Compact

These air coolers are about the size of a toaster, so they only take up a little room on a table, desk, or countertop. If you want to take one on the road, you shouldn’t have too much problem. Each weighs only a few pounds (even when filled with water), so moving it about the house or office should be easy for most people.

Whisper-Quiet

The fan in this device has been designed to be extremely quiet, so it should not disturb anyone. Someone working on the air conditioner or doing anything alone, such as knitting or reading, is unlikely to be disturbed.

Benefits Of Using The Arctic Air Pure Chill Air Cooler

  • The air is filtered, chilled, and humidified for optimal comfort.
  • The hydro chill method is used to cool hot, dry air.
  • UV light cleans as it cools.
  • The simple and quick fill top helps to reduce spillage.
  • Each fill may operate for up to 10 hours.
  • They are controlling an LED nightlight.
  • This air vent provides four adjustable speeds and varied directions.

How To Use Arctic Air Pure Chill Air Cooler Properly?

When discussing the Arctic Air Pure Chill, it is critical to create a difference. The handy small device is not an air conditioner but an air chiller. This evaporative cooler, often known as a “swamp cooler,” sends hot air through a moist filter.

Although it cannot cool an entire room, this tiny model is ideal for placing near your workspace or bed to provide a continual flow of cool air while you are there.

You must first fill the top tank with water before using it. It works well with only water, but the handbook recommends removing the filter, soaking it, and then freezing it while filling the water tank with ice cubes for maximum cooling. And even those few actions have a significant impact. Add extra ice cubes if you want a refreshing burst of icy air after constantly using your Arctic Air Pure Chill Air Cooler for several hours.

It also features a top light that can be adjusted to pink or blue, among other colors. The back buttons will remain partially lighted even when the light is switched off.

Because of their innovative design, Arctic Air Pure Chill air conditioners are incredibly adaptable. Users may change the fan speed to their preference by carefully checking the system. The volume of air inhaled by users is controlled via a louver that allows for direct airflow. Users can change the default airflow setting if it isn’t sufficient.

The Arctic Air Pure Chill air conditioner’s quick cooling option reduces temperatures in only 30 seconds. Instantly, a pleasant blast of cool air is given. The use of water in the cooling process of the gadget benefits both the ecosystem and the user.

Where To Buy Arctic Air Pure Chill Air Cooler?

The Arctic Air Pure Chill is available exclusively through the manufacturer’s website. If you purchase more than two, you will receive an extra discount. The discount offer is subject to cancellation at times, so plan accordingly.

The return of the second Arctic air cold has a 30-day timeframe. The products are unopened and in their original packaging. Customers must also contact customer care to receive the return shipping address. This chiller is also sold at retailers like Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Walmart. If you need to lodge a refund request or have problems, go to the point of purchase first.

  • You can get some Arctic Air Pure Chill AC for $89.99.
  • For $159,98, you may get two Arctic Air Pure Chill air conditioners.
  • A set of three Arctic Air Pure Chill air conditioners will cost you $209.97.

Summary

Arctic Air Pure’s developed Hydro-Chill technology and evaporative air-cooling cartridge transform suffocatingly hot air into pleasantly cold air in a second, making it suitable for use in any area of the house. It’s the quickest and easiest method to cool down, whether you’re indoors or outside.

In addition to its six color lighting options, it boasts a three-speed, whisper-quiet fan, an easily accessible top-fill water tank, and moveable air vents. Its slender, compact design makes it an appealing complement to any workstation, whether it’s at your desk, by your bed, or in the kitchen. It’s beneficial even when driving! You may now use the cold air whenever you want.

The Arctic Air Pure Chill AC is an excellent choice for those who appreciate comfort but are hesitant to invest in climate control technology. Anyone of any age can utilize the personalized climate control. Its simplicity makes it suitable for people of all ages. Both men and women can use the tools with equal ease. It provides both sexes a leg up on cooling system efficiency with optimum airflow in hot weather and a pleasant environment.

Customers with bad experiences with other air conditioner manufacturers may prefer the Arctic Air Pure Chill system. You can monitor if the person’s efforts increase if they have autonomous access to the AC. The capacity to sprinkle the air is another feature. This is a great reprieve on hot days.