Antarctica

Question 1

What is the climate like in Antarctica?

Answer 1

It is cold and dry with temperatures going down to -80°C in the winter.

Question 2

Which are the coldest months?

Answer 2

June - September

Question 3

What are ice shelves?

Answer 3

They are pieces of ice that extend from glaciers and float on the ocean

Question 4

What is sea ice?

Answer 4

Pieces of ice floating on the ocean/sea

Question 5

Which 2 countries led the first successful expeditions to the South Pole?

Answer 5

Norway and England

Question 6

Explain what has happened as sea ice melts and why it takes place.

Answer 6

As sea ice melts, the sea levels across the world rise, causing floods and more places going underwater all over the world. This happens because of global warming making the world warmer. Antarctica is also affected more than most places mainly due to to the vicious loop.

Question 7

What were the names of both leaders in the race to the pole?

Answer 7

Roald Amundsen and Robert Falcon Scott.

Question 8

What made their journeys very difficult in the race to the pole?

Answer 8

• The weather was harsh
• No-one had been there before.
• They also didn’t have the advanced technology of today.
• They didn’t understand as much about keeping healthy in terms of food, so it was hard to get a nutritious diet from cans.
• They didn’t have motorised vehicles, so a lot of the journey was done on foot.

Question 9

What is the Antarctic treaty?

Answer 9

It is a set of rules agreed to by a variety of nations regarding Antarctica and keeping it protected and unique.

Question 10

What does the Antarctic treaty prevent?

Answer 10

It prevents:
Nuclear action
Military action
Claims over the land
Disposal of military waste

Question 11

Where do most of the tourists to Antarctica come from?

Answer 11

The USA

Question 12

What are some of the problems with tourism in Antartica?

Answer 12

Too many people would cause lots of pollution.
Tourists may unknowingly bring the seeds and spores of plants from other areas into Antarctica.
Large cruise ships scare the animals that live there.
Possibility of oil spills from ships
Tourists might leave rubbish in Antarctica

Question 13

Why is Arctic Sea ice important?

Answer 13

It maintains global temperatures,
It keeps the polar regions cold

Question 14

How does Arctic Sea ice regulate global climate?

Answer 14

Sea ice is white and so it reflects most of the incoming solar energy.
As it reflects the solar energy it stays cool.
However the ocean is dark blue, absorbing incoming solar energy.
This means that without any sea ice the Arctic would heat up more.
The Arctic impacts the world climate because it regulates the the weather stream that circulates the northern hemisphere. If the temperature in the Arctic is changed, so will the temperature of the rest of world.
It also means that the whole ocean would heat up more.

Question 15

Why is it easier for people today to reach the south pole?

Answer 15

better navigation (satellites compared to nothing)
better communication
better transport (the very first motorised sleds that weren’t tested compared to high technology)
better nutrition ( we know what food is needed to last for that long)
better equipment
better clothing (wool vs. waterproof + windproof)

Question 16

What is a polar desert?

Answer 16

A region with a mean temperature of less than 10 degrees Celsius during the warmest month and annual precipitation, including rainfall or snow, of no more than 250mm.

Question 17

What is happening due to climate change in Antartica?

Answer 17

Penguin numbers are declining and certain species are going to go extinct.
Krill numbers are going down too, as their main feeding ground is sea ice. As krill are a very important part of the food web, this is very dangerous to many animals.
It also affects the rest of the world, because as the ice melts, sea levels rise all over the world, submerging some places completely in water, and threatening to flood others.

Question 18

Where are there polar deserts?

Answer 18

The North and South Poles are the only two places that you will find polar deserts

Question 19

What are the causes of climate change in Antartica?

Answer 19

The greenhouse effect is greenhouse gases rising to the top of the lower atmosphere. These gases then trap some of the sun’s rays, causing the earth to stay warm. This is necessary, but because of too many greenhouse gases being released, it is making the world heat up too much.

The ozone hole means that Antartica isn’t shielded from harmful ultraviolet waves that come from the sun.

The combination of the 2 means that Antartica is heating up fast. On top of that there is a vicious cycle. The white ice in Antartica reflects the sun’s rays, and the dark ocean absorbs it. As the ice is melting and turning into ocean, it absorbs more and more of the sun’s rays leading to more of the rays being absorbed. This is a vicious cycle.

Therefore, Antartica is heating up.

Question 20

What are we doing about climate change in Antartica?

Answer 20

Antarctica Act (1994)
Regulation of commercial fishing
Minimising waste and pollution in Antarctica
Environmental Policy and management

Question 21

What challenges do antarctic animals face?

Answer 21

Sub-zero temperatures
Very windy and very dry weather
Food is hard to come across because it is so hard for anything to survive
Predators are always looking for food (a.k.a prey).
No liquid water - it’s all frozen.

Question 22

Why do people want to go to Antartica on holiday?

Answer 22

People are eager to explore extreme environments
Different from a typical holiday
Amazing range of wildlife
Surprisingly varied range of activities
Remote and untouched - can see wildlife in it’s purest form
Heritage and historical sites
Volcanic activity
Spectacular scenery

Question 23

Pros and cons of tourism in Antarctica

Answer 23

Pros:
Awareness increases - very important for helping to protect antarctica. Tourists might even become ambassadors for the area
People have learnt more about climate change in general when they leave Antartica because while they’re there they learn about marine biology and the implications of climate change.

Cons:
Very fragile ecosystem - too many people would disrupt the delicate balance.
Antartica would take years and years to recover due to the cold weather and lack of sunlight.
Tourists may unknowingly bring the seeds and spores of plants from other areas into Antarctica which would disrupt the ecosystem.
Large cruise ships and lots of people scares the animals that live there
Ships could spill oil, leaving a devastating impact on the animals that live there.
Tourists leave rubbish in antarctica, ruining the untouched feel and hurting, even killing species that live there.