Arctic environmental change research and Antarctic studies have mutual benefits

Outi Meinander

Finnish Meteorological Institute, Erik Palmenin aukio 1, 00101 Helsinki, Finland

*Corresponding author email: outi.meinander@fmi.fi

Abstract: Arctic environmental change research and Antarctic studies have mutual benefits for increasing understanding of climate and environmental change in the polar regions. Two examples of bipolar environmental research questions with mutual benefit are presented here. First, climate change and climatically significant cryospheric changes are introduced, and then the roles of albedo feedback mechanism and light absorbing impurities are discussed. Second, the challenge of polar stratospheric ozone depletion is discussed in connection with the increase in the harmful ultraviolet solar irradiance reaching the Earth.

Keywords: Arctic, environmental change, Antarctic, cryosphere, atmosphere, climate