3.1.4.1 Glaciers as natural systems

Question 1

Inputs

Answer 1

Energy 
- solar radiation 
- geothermal heat
Mass 
- direct snowfall 
- blown snow 
- avalanches and rock fall

Question 2

Components

Answer 2

• Depositional landforms and landscapes

Question 3

are Glacial environments open systems?

Answer 3

yes

Question 4

flows/transfers

Answer 4

• ice movement
• erosional processes
• ice and meltwater transport
• melting
• sublimation
• calving

Question 5

positive feedback in a cold environment

Answer 5

arctic ice melts - land and water surfaces are exposed - these darker and dull surfaces have low albedo - exposed land and sea reflects less solar radiation than ice - more solar radiation is absorbed causing the surfaces to warm - arctic ice melts.

Question 6

Permafrost

Answer 6

Permanently frozen ground, found in polar and tundra regions.

Question 7

Polar

Answer 7

The regions of Earth surrounding the North and South Poles. These regions are dominated by Earth’s polar ice caps, the northern resting on the Arctic Ocean and the southern on the continent of Antarctica.

Question 8

tundra

Answer 8

The flat, treeless Arctic regions of Europe, Asia and North America, where the ground is permanently frozen. Lichen, moss, grasses and dwarf shrubs can grow here.

Question 9

25%

Answer 9

The amount of the World’s land surface that are Cold environments cover.

Question 10

latitude

Answer 10

One of the main controlling factors of how cold a place is and what cold features an area has is. At extreme latitudes, there are Ice sheets in areas of extreme cold such as Antarctica

Question 11

Arctic

Answer 11

Northern polar region composed largely of sea ice, which changes in thickness and extent from month to month and year to year.

Question 12

66.5°N

Answer 12

The Arctic circle

Question 13

66.5°S

Answer 13

The antarctic circle

Question 14

Nuntaks

Answer 14

ice-free areas in polar environments

Question 15

tundar

Answer 15

from sami (northern finland) and the original word means “uplands” and “treeless mountain tract”

Question 16

tundra areas

Answer 16

cover approximately 1/5 of the world’s land surface, including parts of Northern Canada and Russia.

Question 17

Active layer

Answer 17

The layer that thaws at the surface of the permafrost in the Tundra.

Question 18

Tundra climates

Answer 18

very harsh in winter, the precipitation falls as snow and although the average temperatures are -25°C in some months the daily minimum can be much lower, dropping below -40°C. Soils also freeze during these months, making life for most plants during this time impossible.

Question 19

polar climates

Answer 19

classed as a cold desert, there is very little precipitation as the air cannot hold much water vapour as it is so cold. The precipitation that does fall does so as snow and ice. Average temperatures are always below freezing point, but daytime summer temperatures can exceed 0°C.