Cold environments Flashcards
1
Q
GLACIAL
- Characteristics of Glacial landscapes
A
- Areas permanently covered by ice. Land can be covered by glaciers or ice sheets
2
Q
GLACIAL
Types of glaciers
A
- Glaciers are masses of ice that flow downhill with there being two main types:
- Valley glaciers fill valleys and can be several kilomertres long.
- Corrie glaciers are smaller glaciers that are found in bowl-shaped hollows high up in mountains
- Ice sheets are domes of ice covering huge areas of land. (Antarctic)
3
Q
GLACIAL
Climate
A
Temperatures are cold enough for ice to be present all year round, but may be warm enough in summer for meltwater to affect glaciers. Most have high snowfall, but in extremely cold areas, ice sheets and glaciers can persist even when snowfall is very low.
4
Q
GLACIAL
Soil and vegetation
A
There is no exposed soil in glacial environments. Therefore there are very few plants, though algae and moss may grow on the glacier surface during the summer
5
Q
POLAR
Polar Location
A
- Areas surround North and South Poles
- Much of the Arctic polar environment is made up of northern Asia, North America and europe.
- The land based polar environments can include glacial environments and periglacial environments.
6
Q
POLAR
Climate
A
- Very cold - winters are normally -40°C and can reach -90°C
- Precipitation is low (no more than 100mm per year)
- There are clearly defined seasons - cold summer and even colder winters
7
Q
POLAR
Soil
A
- Much of the ground is covered by ice
- If soil is exposed it is thin a nutrient poor
- Permafrost is present
8
Q
POLAR
Vegetation
A
- Very few plants
- Some lichens and mosses are found on rocks
- There are few grasses in warmer areas e.g on the coast of antarctica
9
Q
PERIGLACIAL
Characteristics of periglacial areas
A
- They are places where the temperature is frequently or constantly below zero but are not covered by ice
10
Q
PERIGLACIAL
Climate
A
- Cold areas where precipitation is fairly low - 380mm or less
- Clearly defined seasons (brief, mild summers and long cold winters)
11
Q
PERIGLACIAL
Soil
A
- Thin and acidic and not very fertile
- Normally a permafrost layer, topped with a layer of soil that melts in the summer
12
Q
PERIGLACIAL
Vegetation
A
- Plants grow slowly and don’t gow tall
- Grasses are the most common plants with some small trees growing in the summer in sheltered areas
- Nearer the poles only mosses and lichenscan survive
13
Q
ALPINE
Characterisitcs of Alpine areas
A
- Cold areas of land at an altitude above the treeline (The limit of the area where trees can grow)
