6. Extreme Environments Flashcards
Describe a polar climate
- cold because of the high latitudes, the further north the more extreme the cold
- winters are very cold down to -50°C, with few or no hours of light
- dry with less than 300mm of precipitation per year falling mostly as snow
- summers are short with many hours of light; this is the growing season in the tundra
- the coldest glacial regions support no life at all
Describe a hot climate
- cold night temperatures because there are very few clouds to keep heat in
- occasional intense downfalls of rain that cause flash flooding
- hot day time temperatures, often above 30°C
- there is very little seasonal change in very arid areas - slightly more in semi-arid areas
- dry with sometimes less than 250mm precipitation per year
- the hottest arid environments support little plant, animal and human life
Describe the energy use in the Sahel and Alaska
Sahel:
•modern buildings have air conditioning
•solar panels
•wind turbines
Alaska:
•oil
•gas
•high demand
Describe the food in the Sahel and Alaska
Sahel:
•plants have low nutritional content
Alaska:
•most food has to be imported
Name a hot arid climate
Sahel
Name a polar climate
Alaska
Describe the building styles in the Sahel and Alaska
Sahel:
•traditional houses have very thick walls to keep summer heat out and winter warmth in
•many buildings are underground
Alaska:
•triple glazing
•thick insulation
•sloped roofs to shed heavy snow
Describe the transport in the Sahel and Alaska
Sahel:
•railways are reliable when travelling the desert
•light aircraft
Alaska:
•skis, snowmobiles + traditional dog-sleds are used
•driving is easier in winter when the ground if frozen solid
Describe the clothing in the Sahel and Alaska
Sahel:
•head to foot, loose fitting and lightly coloured clothes
•head coverings keep dust out
Alaska:
•modern high-tech insulated clothing
•mutiple layers protect against frost bite + hypothermia
What global actions could prevent Africa’s drylands from climate change?
Global agreements could mitigate(reduce) climate change by cutting emissions of CO2
How could charities + NGOs (give and example) help African countries to adapt to climate change?
Example: Oxfam
•Climate change could reduce African crop yields by 10%, maize production might fall by 33%
•In Africa 70% of the working population relies on farming to make a living
•farming contributes 40% to the GDP of Africa
•Africa would suffer the most from climate change as people are poorest there
How have flora and fauna successfully adapted to extreme climates?
Tundra regions:
•animals are adapted to survive the cold with thick layers of fat/fur
•many are coloured white to camouflage themselves with the snow
Semi-arid regions:
•animals store water in fat and tend to be nocturnal, spending the day underground out of the Sun
•insects collect moisture from the air
•plants store water and/or have extensive root systems to reach water far underground
•seeds can stay dormant for years and produce brightly coloured flowers to attract insects as soon as their is rainfall
how could climate change threaten natural systems?
- melting of permafrost + loss of sea ice - in glacial regions, where there is a build-up of melt water, lakes can burst their banks resulting in flood water destroying ecosystems
- desertification - animals and plants that live in what used to be semi-arid regions cannot adapt and die
- species migration
what are the threats to the Sahel and Alaska?
Alaska:
•Oil spills which have caused environmental catastrophes in the past
•permafrost melting due to buildings heating up the land, especially around big urban centres
•loss of native languages and cultural traditions - influence of Western cultures in growing
•people, especially the young, are moving away due to lack of social and employment opportunities
Sahel:
•air pollution from newly emerging economies and industrialised countries may increase droughts
•desertification leads to disappearing vegetation and soil erosion. it is partly caused by overgrazing of livestock
•Western cultures have a strong influence
•people, especially the young, are moving away due to lack of opportunities
what sustainable management is used in hot arid regions?
intermediate technology in places like Africa:
•lining wells with concrete to avoid sewage contamination and the top of the well can be capped with a concrete cover to prevent contamination
•hand pumps pump water up from deeper underground
and the top of the well can be capped with a concrete cover to prevent contamination water is safely stored in rain barrels for later use
