COLD ENVIRONMENTS Flashcards
What is a cold environment
Experience temperatures that are at or below 0°C for long periods of time
Where does the word tundra come from
The finish word ‘tunturia’ Meaning barren or treeless land
Do trees grow in the tundra? and why?
No, layers of the soil are permanently frozen so roots of trees cannot establish in the soil
Where is most of the worlds tundra located
In the Arctic Circle and mainly found in north America, in Canada, Norway, Greenland and North Asia in northern Russia
What’s the highest temperature recorded in the tundra
9°C
What is the lowest temperature recorded in the tundra
-20°C
What is the highest recorded rainfall in the tundra
About 35 mm
What is the lowest recorded rainfall recorded in tundra
About 5 mm
How long is the summer in the tundra
Four months
What is permafrost
Permafrost is permanently or semi permanently frozen ground That is frozen for two years or more, thickness ranges from 1 m to more than 1000 m
What is the active layer
The uppermost layer of the permafrost is known as the active layer and can thaw for one or two months per year due to summer warming
Why are there so few nutrients in the tundra
The ground is almost permanently frosted so plants don’t embed their roots because nutrients from the litter cannot infiltrate the ground, almost no biomass because it’s so cold.
What opportunities are in Alaska for development?
Fishing - harvesting salmon
Mineral extraction - copper,coal, iron ore, silver gold, zinc, more than a billion tonnes of gravel is mined
Tourism - mountains, glaciers, rivers and wildlife, provides 1 in 8 Alaskan jobs
Energy - geothermal power plant near Fairbanks , 21% of power comes from hydroelectric power
Oil - petroleum found in the Pringle Bay oil field discovered in 1968, employs 110,000 people. Transported using the Trans-Alaskan pipeline
What is the population of Alaska
736,000
Describe the distribution of the population in Alaska
Unevenly distributed
Most people live on the southern coast of Alaska and in the south
Fairbanks is densely populated as it is the last city before nothing but snow
Anchorage is densely populated because it is is on the coast so warmer in summer but also accessible for trade.
Juneau is the state capital so many jobs are available
All oil workers and miners come from Fairbanks as it is the most northern city in Alaska before nothing but snow
What is solifluction?
When the active layer flows downhill as the soil thaws in summer, sliding down slopes and cutting off roads and buildings
What problems does frost heave cause?
Pebbles and stones slowly rise upwards to the ground which can make roads and tracks very dangerous
What is thermostats and why is it a problem
Melting and re freezing of the ground and active layer leaving uneven ground surfaces making travel impossible
How deep was the snow in Valdez
40 feet
What have people done to protect their houses from the permafrost
Building their homes on raised piles off the ground
Foundations built beneath the active layer so when it does thaw in the summer the houses won’t be affected and move with the active layer.
What have people done to roads and runways in Alaska to protect against permafrost
Darker materials absorb heat so if we paint them white, the heat is reflected
They put a layer of gravel between the road and the active layer as gravel stops heat transfer so heat from the vehicles won’t cause the active layer to melt
What are utilidoors?
Concrete corridors for utilities to carry gas,water and sewage, they stop utilities from freezing as concrete is a good insulator
How is I’ll transported in Alaska
By the trans - Alaskan pipeline (1287 km long) to Valdez and then moved by tanker to mainland USA
What have they done to the trans - Alaskan pipeline to protect it from permafrost and earthquake risks?
