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AQA A Level Geography - HUMAN > ✅Case Study - Antarctica as a Global Common > Flashcards

✅Case Study - Antarctica as a Global Common Flashcards

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1
Q

What does Antarctica store?

A

Most of the world’s fresh water

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2
Q

How does the continent change in winter?

A

It doubles in size

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3
Q

When was Antarctica discovered?

A

In 1821, by sealers

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4
Q

How do East and West Antarctica differ

A

West is melting a lot faster, is just ice
East is on top land

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5
Q

What is an ice sheet?

A

Results from small inputs of snow and frost (exceeding ablation rates) over a very long time

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6
Q

What is ablation?

A

The opposite of accumulation, refers to all processes that remove snow, ice and water from the glacier or snowfield

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7
Q

What is a nunatack?

A

An exposed, rocky element of a ridge, mountain or peak not covered by snow or ice within or at the edge of an ice field or glacier. Also know as glacial islands

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8
Q

What is the Antarctic convergence zone?

A

A natural boundary separating two distinct hydrological regions/ areas of distinct climate

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9
Q

Why do Antarctic waters freeze at such low temperatures?

A

Because they are so salty

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10
Q

What happens at the Antarctic convergence zone?

A

Warm surface water and cold antarctic water meet

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11
Q

What is global thermohaline circulation?

A

When water moves along gradients

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12
Q

How does water have a tendency to move?

A

From warm to colder areas

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13
Q

How much of the land is ice free?

A

Less than 5%

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14
Q

What do mean winter temperatures range from?

A

-9 to -68 degrees C

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15
Q

What are claims of Antarctic land founded on?

A

Discovery and exploration of areas
Proximity to Antarctica
Seeking control of natural resources

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16
Q

When was the Antarctic Treaty created?

A

1959

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17
Q

How many countries have now signed the treaty?

A

46

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18
Q

What are the main intentions of the treaty?

A

Antarctica shall be used for peaceful purposes only
Antarctica should be a site of scientific investigation
No nation would be obligated to surrender its claim, and no new claim could be made

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19
Q

What does the environmental protocol of the treaty state?

A

Commits the parties to comprehensive protection of the Antarctic environment
Designates Antarctica as a natural reserve devoted to peace and science
Bans all commercial mineral resource activity
Requires assessment of impacts of any activities

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20
Q

When will the environmental protocol be revised?

A

2048

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21
Q

How many environmental NGOs work in coalition to protect Antarctica?

A

Over 1000

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22
Q

What human activities threaten Antarctica?

A

Scientific research
Mineral exploitation
Fisheries
Tourism

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23
Q

How many permanent scientific bases exist on Antarctica?

A

40

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24
Q

How can scientific research threaten the environment?

A

In 1989, an Argentine ship ran aground and released 25,000 gallons of fuel into the sea. Similar events have occurred at Russian and US bases

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25
Q

Where have coal seams been discovered?

A

Along the coastline and in the mountains

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26
Q

Why has activity at coals seams so far been deterred?

A

It isn’t commercially viable, but may be needed fr future demand

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27
Q

Where has a great potential for oil?

A

The Weddel and Ross seas, on the continental shelf

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28
Q

How many barrels of oil are estimated to be in the Weddel and Ross seas?

A

50 billion

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29
Q

What is the only large scale exploitation in Antarctica?

A

Fishing

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30
Q

What are the impacts of fishing in Antarctica?

A

Over-fishing of target species
Effects on species that depend on target species
Killing of other species accidentally caught
Destruction of habitat by equipment

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31
Q

What is the biggest species of concern in Antarctic fisheries?

A

Krill

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32
Q

Why are krill such an important species?

A

They feed on phytoplankton, and are then eaten by a wide range of species

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33
Q

What has been put down to the over fishing of Krill?

A

The decline in some penguin species

34
Q

Why is Krill being fished?

A

It is used as feed on salmon farms and their enzymes have pharmaceutical uses

35
Q

What is CCAMLR?

A

Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources

36
Q

What do CCAMLR do?

A

Control the commercial fisheries in the Southern Ocean, taking into account the species being fished and their prey and predator species. They monitor all fishing in the region

37
Q

What must all vessels in the CCAMLR region participate in?

A

Monitoring systems to report krill catches

38
Q

Why are pharmaceutical companies interest in Antarctic species?

A

For their anti-freeze proteins in the blood, and for how fish slow their heartbeat to save energy in cold environments

39
Q

Who banned whaling in the Antarctic?

A

The International Whaling Commission

40
Q

What is the limit of viability?

A

The amount of meltwater an ice shelf can take before it begins to weaken and retreat

41
Q

What area does the Antarctic Treaty apply to?

A

60 degrees south

42
Q

What does the Treaty not apply to?

A

The seas

43
Q

When was the Whaling Moratorium introduced?

A

1982

44
Q

What did the Whaling Moratorium do?

A

Banned commercial whaling
Prevented a 10% decline in no. of hump back whales

45
Q

How were whales previously hunted?

A

Using harpoons and specialist whaling boats

46
Q

What did Greenpeace do for Antarctic whales?

A

They launched an anti-whaling campaign shortly after the organisation formed, and Greenpeace ships began confronting whaling fleets

47
Q

Which countries ignore the moratorium?

A

Japan, Iceland and Norway

48
Q

How many whales does Japan hunt each year for ‘research’?

A

300

49
Q

How much money can 1 whale make?

A

$1 million

50
Q

When was the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary set up?

A

1994

51
Q

Who set up the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary?

A

The International Whaling Commission

52
Q

What is the aim of the whale sanctuary?

A

To benefit the long term conservation of whales

53
Q

How does the sanctuary benefit whales?

A

By facilitating recovery of depleted whale populations by protecting important areas

54
Q

How does the whale sanctuary benefit surrounding nations economically?

A

Provides economic benefits to range of states by providing opportunities to develop non-lethal economic uses of ecotourism and whale watching

55
Q

How has scientific whaling changed over the years?

A

It has increased

56
Q

What is the Madrid Protocol?

A

The protocol on environmental protection for the Antarctic treaty, protects natural reserves

57
Q

How successful has the Madrid protocol been?

A

Mining is prohibited and minerals are protected, so the environment is preserved, and toxic chemicals are prohibited from being discharged into the sea

58
Q

Why is the Madrid protocol needed?

A

To provide comprehensive protection for the environment after Russian bases were dumping waste

59
Q

How many parties have agreed to the Madrid Protocol?

A

34, with a further 11 signed but not ratified

60
Q

What is the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals?

A

A convention for promoting and achieving the protection, scientific study and rational use of seals

61
Q

When did the seal convention come into place?

A

1978, after seals were killed by clubbing for their pelts, young seals wanted

62
Q

What has happened since the seal convention came into place?

A

Seal populations have recovered, proof that CCAS is a successful international agreement

63
Q

Why is the seal convention needed?

A

To recognise that the stocks of Antarctic seals are an important living resource and should not be exploited and depleted

64
Q

How many parties have agreed to the seal convention?

A

17

65
Q

What is the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources?

A

An international convention with the objective of conserving Antarctic marine life, in response to increasing commercial interest in krill

66
Q

When was the Conservation of Marine Living Resources brought in?

A

1982, the same year as the whaling ban

67
Q

How successful has CCAMLR been?

A

Seabird mortality has been reduced, protected areas have been established, vulnerable ecosystems managed and challenges of illegal fishing addressed

68
Q

Why was CCAMLR set up?

A

Because there was increasing commercial interest in krill

69
Q

Who enforces CCAMLR?

A

All vessels are monitored and the policy is implemented by all 25 countries

70
Q

What is ASOC?

A

Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition

71
Q

Who does ASOC represent?

A

Brings together more than 30 groups so has a wide scope, includes WWF and Wildlife Organisations

72
Q

Why was ASOC set up?

A

A US lawyer exposed a secret minerals framework for Antarctica

73
Q

What categories are ASOC’s current works split into?

A

Environmental Protection
Wildlife Conservation
Antarctic Governance

74
Q

How does ASOC plan to tackle Antarctic climate change issues?

A

Through public advocacy, promoting adaptation strategies, and climate science

75
Q

What do ASOC seek in terms of protection?

A

The highest possible level of environmental protection for the Antarctic region and for all wildlife

76
Q

Which area do ASOC want to be protected?

A

The Ross Sea and areas for species such as Minke whales and Krill

77
Q

How important is ASOC’s work in the Ross Sea?

A

It is striving for it to be a Marine Protected Area and maintaining its diversity and abundant marine life. Almost untouched as it was thousands of years ago, preserved

78
Q

How is tourism a threat to Antarctica

A

each tourist arrival accounts for 83 tonnes of snow loss and 4.1 tons of CO2 emissions
Demand for extreme tourism is only rising
MS explorer crash in 2007 left mile long oil spill in penguin breeding grounds
But economic value of tourism prevents more whaling and mining

79
Q

How is Mining a threat to Antarctica

A

As demand for fossil fuels rise and more ice melts making mining easier there may be greater pressure to mine in Antarctica, which damages habitats
But mining has been banned there

80
Q

How is Fishing and whaling a threat to Antarctica

A

Krill are essential in food chain
But krill catches went from 500,000 in 80s to 150,000 a year
Krill regulations have been introduced to keep population able to regenerate, e.g, recording krill fishing number
most IWC member against whaling although Japan ignores it
Whales take a long time to reproduce so are more vulnerable to extinction

81
Q

How is climate change a threat to Antarctica

A

Polar amplification means poles have greatest temperature rise, and thus damage
West Antarctica has risen 3 degrees C since 1995
More ice melts, more water in contact with ice, more melting- positive feedback
Emperor penguins have declined up to to 50% in some places
Ice loss x6 from 1980 to 2017 to 250 gigatonnes a year
But global mitigation attempts, e.g, stopping fossil fuels, help

AQA A Level Geography - HUMAN (27 decks)

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