Antarctica case study

Question 1

What percentage of the worlds ice does Antarctica contain?

Answer 1

90%

Question 2

What is the average temperature and what are the impacts of this (3 things)

Answer 2

-49, this causes a lack of warmth, a lack of water and a fragile ecosystem.

Question 3

What are the five threats to Antarctica?

Answer 3

Search for minerals, fishing and whaling, climate change, research and tourism.

Question 4

How many major mineral deposits are there?

Answer 4

geological surveys show 9,000

Question 5

How is Antarctica protected from mineral depletion?

Answer 5

the 1988 Antarctica environmental protocol protect Antarctica for 50 years from exploitation.

Question 6

Why are resources more likely to be extracted in the future? (2 reasons)

Answer 6

• firstly global demand for resources is rapidly rising as supplies are used up elsewhere.
• also as ice sheets melt due to global warming they will become more accessible.

Question 7

What is the effect of over-fishing

Answer 7

over-fishing threatens many species making them vulnerable to extinction. Reduced populations have a knock on effect on the food chains.

Question 8

Why does illegal fishing occur?

Answer 8

fishing can be very difficult to monitor.

Question 9

Why is antarctica so good for scientific research?

Answer 9

it has the cleanest most unpolluted air and therefore is best for monitoring changes to the atmosphere/

Question 10

How many countries operate year-round scientific research stations.

Answer 10

18

Question 11

in the last 5 decades areas of the west coast of Antarctica have warmed by???

Answer 11

3 degrees

Question 12

What are the effects of melting ice sheets?

Answer 12

ice sheets contain carbon which has been locked up for many years, this is released into the atmosphere causing more greenhouse gases and more global warming, creating a positive feedback loop.

Question 13

why have some species of penguins declined?

Answer 13

because they live on the ice sheets which are melting, destroying their habitats.

Question 14

How much are global sea levels rising by?

Answer 14

3mm a year

Question 15

What are the negative impacts of tourism? (3 factors)

Answer 15

• The increase in air travel increases pollution
• There is a risk of cruise ships hitting the ice bergs.
• Litter and waste disposal can damage habitats.

Question 16

What year was the Antarctic treaty developed?

Answer 16

1959

Question 17

How many countries are part of the treaty?

Answer 17

53 countries, it is an agreement about how to sustainably manage antarctica.

Question 18

What does the treaty aim to do?

Answer 18

promote peace, encourage countries to cooperate on research, destroy territorial claims and ban nuclear waste disposal.

Question 19

What year did the Environmental protocol begin?

Answer 19

1988

Question 20

What did the Environmental protocol do? (3 things)

Answer 20

banned mining, establish waste management rules and protected polluted areas.

Question 21

What is the problem with the protocols

Answer 21

there is no system to ensure all countries abide by the rules and tackling problems can be slow and difficult.

Question 22

What do the international whaling commission do?

Answer 22

regulate whaling and ensuring that the whale population is kept to a sustainable level.