Introduction to the Arctic

In this course, you will first learn about the Arctic as a geographic region, the peoples who inhabit the Arctic, and the long history of Arctic settlement and exploration. You will then learn about key features of the Arctic environment - its climate and weather, ocean features, sea ice, land features, and the Greenland Ice Sheet, as well as some of the rapid changes that have been observed. Learning Objectives: Appreciate the long history of the Arctic and its peoples. Learn and recall the physical geography of the Arctic, including the major features of the Arctic Ocean and Arctic lands. Describe the major climatic and environmental features of the Arctic, including its sea ice cover, temperature regimes, precipitation, snow cover, land ice, permafrost, and vegetation, the physical processes that produce these features, and how they change.