About this course: The University of Alberta, the University of Tromso and the University of the Arctic invite you to explore this four week course that examines the environment and climate of the circumpolar North. This course is the result of an international collaboration and provides you with an insight into our planet's North. Following an overview of regional geography, we will focus on the cryosphere (ice), as well as the atmosphere and ocean of the region. We will learn why the Arctic is cold and ice covered, and how that impacts its climate and ecosystems. We will also consider how the Arctic is connected to the rest of the world. Finally, we will examine present day climate change, the processes driving it, and evidence for it in the Arctic, before looking at the implications in the rapidly evolving North. Watch a preview of the course here: https://uofa.ualberta.ca/courses/arctic-climate

Created by: University of Alberta

Taught by: Paul Myers, Ph.D, Professor
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences

Language	English
How To Pass	Pass all graded assignments to complete the course.
User Ratings	4.4 stars Average User Rating 4.4See what learners said

Syllabus

WEEK 1

Arctic Environments

This course is about the remarkable northern regions of the earth, the Arctic! Although sometimes considered remote and dangerous, the Arctic is home to many peoples, along with the ecosystems that they coexist with. Researchers from many fields, both scientis...

4 videos, 6 readings

Graded: Module 1 (Graded)

WEEK 2

Climate Systems

In this lesson we’ll learn about the climate of the Arctic, and the way the climate interacts with the rest of the Earth system. In Lesson 1, we saw how the Earth receives energy from the sun and how heat is trapped on our planet through the natural greenhouse...

6 videos, 2 readings

Graded: Module 2 (Graded)

WEEK 3

The Cryosphere

In this lesson, we’ll be learning about the Arctic cryosphere, which is the portion of the Earth’s surface where water occurs in solid forms. Such as snow and ice! In Lesson 2, we talked about atmospheric and oceanic circulation. Now we will learn about when a...

4 videos, 1 reading

Graded: Module 3 (Graded)

WEEK 4

Implications of Climate Change

In this lesson, we’ll be learning about the implications of climate change. Through the first 3 lessons, we’ve learned a great deal about the Arctic environment. This environment is rapidly changing, largely due to industrial human activity throughout the worl...

4 videos, 1 reading

Graded: Module 4 (Graded)

FAQs

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Coursework

Each course is like an interactive textbook, featuring pre-recorded videos, quizzes and projects.

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Creators

University of Alberta

UAlberta is considered among the world’s leading public research- and teaching-intensive universities. As one of Canada’s top universities, we’re known for excellence across the humanities, sciences, creative arts, business, engineering and health sciences.

Ratings and Reviews

Rated 4.4 out of 5 of 82 ratings

Excellent initial overview course for people without a knowledge of the Arctic or Environmental Science.

The content was good and very instructive but the videos and graphic material could be more dynamic and interactive.

Very interesting

Nice overview, gives a good appreciation for changes happening in the Arctic. Sometimes the lecture material is a bit dry and repetitive/slow.

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Introduction to the Arctic: Climate

Introduction to the Arctic: Climate

Introduction to the Arctic: Climate