COLD ENVIRONMENTS

Question 1

What is a cold environment

Answer 1

Experience temperatures that are at or below 0°C for long periods of time

Question 2

Where does the word tundra come from

Answer 2

The finish word ‘tunturia’ Meaning barren or treeless land

Question 3

Do trees grow in the tundra? and why?

Answer 3

No, layers of the soil are permanently frozen so roots of trees cannot establish in the soil

Question 4

Where is most of the worlds tundra located

Answer 4

In the Arctic Circle and mainly found in north America, in Canada, Norway, Greenland and North Asia in northern Russia

Question 5

What’s the highest temperature recorded in the tundra

Answer 5

9°C

Question 6

What is the lowest temperature recorded in the tundra

Answer 6

-20°C

Question 7

What is the highest recorded rainfall in the tundra

Answer 7

About 35 mm

Question 8

What is the lowest recorded rainfall recorded in tundra

Answer 8

About 5 mm

Question 9

How long is the summer in the tundra

Answer 9

Four months

Question 10

What is permafrost

Answer 10

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

Question 11

What is the active layer

Answer 11

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

Question 12

Why are there so few nutrients in the tundra

Answer 12

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.

Question 13

What opportunities are in Alaska for development?

Answer 13

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

Question 14

What is the population of Alaska

Answer 14

736,000

Question 15

Describe the distribution of the population in Alaska

Answer 15

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

Question 16

What is solifluction?

Answer 16

When the active layer flows downhill as the soil thaws in summer, sliding down slopes and cutting off roads and buildings

Question 17

What problems does frost heave cause?

Answer 17

Pebbles and stones slowly rise upwards to the ground which can make roads and tracks very dangerous

Question 18

What is thermostats and why is it a problem

Answer 18

Melting and re freezing of the ground and active layer leaving uneven ground surfaces making travel impossible

Question 19

How deep was the snow in Valdez

Answer 19

40 feet

Question 20

What have people done to protect their houses from the permafrost

Answer 20

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.

Question 21

What have people done to roads and runways in Alaska to protect against permafrost

Answer 21

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

Question 22

What are utilidoors?

Answer 22

Concrete corridors for utilities to carry gas,water and sewage, they stop utilities from freezing as concrete is a good insulator

Question 23

How is I’ll transported in Alaska

Answer 23

By the trans - Alaskan pipeline (1287 km long) to Valdez and then moved by tanker to mainland USA

Question 24

What have they done to the trans - Alaskan pipeline to protect it from permafrost and earthquake risks?