Arctic tundra golden nuggets Flashcards
How many moths a year does it have a negative heat balance?
eight or nine
Average temperature
-12 to -6 degrees Celcius
Variation in precipitation and annual precipitation
20-60mm per month 250mm per year
Carbon stored in permafrost
1600 gigatons
Net Primary Productivity g/msquared/year
200g/msquared/year
Biomass/ha
4-29 tonnes
amount of carbon and methane lost from melting of permafrost/year
7 to 40 million tonnes (carbon)
24,000-114,000 tonnes of methane
What can temps reach in winter?
Below -40 degrees celcius
What is the annual precipitation and what does it fall as?
50-350mm and falls as snow.
What water stores form during the summer?
Extensive wetlands, millions of pools of water, ponds and lakes.
Why are there occasionally CO2 emissions in winter?
This is due to pockets of unfrozen soil.
Why is there a low permeability in the Tundra?
Due to impermeable permafrost and crystalline rocks.
How long is most carbon in permafrost locked away for?
over 500,000 years
What has happened in recent years in terms of the extraction of oil?
Has been a decline from America
What have been the side effects of the growing oil and gas industry?
There has been localised melting of the permafrost.
Why is there localised melting of permafrost due to the oil and gas industry?
The construction and operation of installations has interfered, new infrastructure, dust deposition has increased albedo, has been a removal of vegetation cover.
How much more carbon is there in soils than in above soil biomass?
5X
Why may the carbon budget remain balanced in the Arctic Tundra?
There has been stimulated growth due to warmer weather, this means that more carbon has been taken in and more carbon rich litter has been entering the soil.
How long has most carbon in the tundra been locked away for?
500,000 years
How has the degrading of vegetation due to the oil and gas industry led to a disruption in the carbon cycle?
There has been a reduction in photosynthesis and an uptake of photosynthesis from the atmosphere.
Why does the tundra take very long to regenerate?
Due to its slow growing nature of the vegetation.
What impact has the oil and gas industry had on the water cycle?
Has been more run off and river discharge. Have been more wetlands in summer and greater rates of evaporation. Strip mining has disrupted drainage and exposed permafrost to further melting.
