Cold environments

Question 1

Outline the global distribution of alpine cold environments. 4 marks

Answer 1

• High altitudes in mountainous areas
• Most found in the Northern hemisphere
• West and East coast of USA
• Alps in France is an example - Central Europe

Question 2

Describe the landforms resulting from glacial erosion shown in Figure 3. 4 marks

Answer 2

Corries;

• Steep backwall
• Have snow/ice in

Aretes;
- Narrow ridges

Question 3

Choose one of the landforms of glacial erosion shown in Figure 3. Name the landform and explain its formation.
Name of landform. 7 marks

Answer 3

• Corries
• Snow falls in hollows as firn as become compressed so air is removed forming ice
• They form best on the North/north east facing slopes in the northern hemisphere due to aspect
• Due to gravity ice moves downhill
• Ice frozen to the back wall plucks rock out which causes its steepness = armchair structure
• Material plucked away abrades the hollow causing it to get bigger
• Jagged rock left behind - freeze-thaw weathering which is where water gets into cracks and freezes and melts continuously

Question 4

explain how ice moves by basal sliding. 5 marks

Answer 4

• Base of the warm based glacier has a temperature of – 2 °C and that this is synonymous with the PMP
• Weight of overlying ice causes some ice to melt, even though temperatures are below freezing
• Movement causes friction, enhancing melting
• This encourages the ice to move as it is not frozen to its base and the presence of water acts as a lubricant
• Obstacles overcome by creep or regulation slip