Cold environments (paper 1)

Question 1

Where are cold environments found

Answer 1

In the Northern and Southern hemispheres

Question 2

what is temperature like in polar regions

Answer 2

below -50 degrees celcius

Question 3

What is precipitation like in polar regions

Answer 3

Low

Question 4

Why is there low precipitation in polar regions

Answer 4

The air sinks from the Polar cell

Question 5

What is the soil like in polar regions

Answer 5

It is permanently covered in permafrost

Question 6

What and where are plants in polar regions

Answer 6

Mosses and lichens are found on the fringes of the ice

Question 7

what hemisphere are penguins located in

Answer 7

southern

Question 8

what hemisphere are polar bears located in

Answer 8

northern

Question 9

How are polar bears adapted

Answer 9

they have thick fur, an insulating layer or fat, a black nose and foot pads to absorb the sun, white fur to blend with the snow

Question 10

How are penguins adapted

Answer 10

they have a black back to camouflage in the sea but have a white front to camouflage when above water.

Question 11

What is the temperature like in Tundra regions

Answer 11

It may drop to -20 degrees Celsius but the brief summer can be quite warm

Question 12

What is precipitation like in Tundra regions

Answer 12

it is mainly snow and can be quite high in costal areas

Question 13

What are plants like in tundra regions

Answer 13

they are low growing like Artic moss but low bushes and small trees may grow in the summer

Question 14

What is soil like in Tundra regions

Answer 14

infertile and waterlogged and the soil is in permafrost majority of the year but will melt in the summer

Question 15

Why is the soil waterlogged in tundra regions

Answer 15

because water is trapped by permafrost

Question 16

why is the soil infertile in tundra regions

Answer 16

because water draining through the soil removed the nutrients and there is a slow nutrient cycle

Question 17

How is vegetation in cold environments adapted

Answer 17

they are low growing to stay out of the wind

Question 18

How is the bearberry adapted

Answer 18

Low to the ground to avoid the wind
Grows on a rock because there is no fertilized soil
Though, thick bark for stability
Vibrant berries to attract insects

Question 19

How are animals adapted to cold environments

Answer 19

They hibernate during the long polar night
Thick fur - insulation
Big paws - walking on snow

Question 20

Where is Svalbard located

Answer 20

In the Artic circle above Norway

Question 21

What is the population of Svalbard

Answer 21

2700 people are registered

Question 22

what type of region is Svalbard

Answer 22

60% is polar and the rest is tundra but almost always frozen with snow

Question 22

How much of Svalbard is a polar region

Answer 22

60% and 60% of that are glaciers

Question 23

What are the 4 opportunities for development in Svalbard

Answer 23

mineral extraction
energy development
fishing
tourism

Question 24

What are Svalbard’s opportunities to develop in mineral extraction

Answer 24

• rich coal reserves
• employs citizens
• main economic activity

Question 25

What are Svalbard’s opportunities to develop in energy

Answer 25

Geothermal energy - located on a constructive plate where the Earth’s crust is thin and hot rocks are close the the surface

Question 26

What are Svalbard’s opportunities to develop in Fishing

Answer 26

the Barents Sea, south of Svalbard, is one of the richest fishing grounds, with an estimated 150 species of fish

Question 27

What are Svalbard’s opportunities to develop in tourism

Answer 27

• it provides over 300 jobs
• adventure tourism is becoming more popular
• lots of natural environments to showcase

Question 28

Why are cold environments fragile

Answer 28

Because there already is a low biodiversity so when it is affected it can cause large impacts and growth is slower so it can take years for land to recover and re-grow once destroyed

Question 29

why should cold environments be protected

Answer 29

Because there are very few remaining and we need to preserve them for science, research and future generations

Question 30

What are the challenges for Svalbard involving extreme temperatures

Answer 30

• pipes can burst from expanding water
• have to wear lots of layers to avoid hypothermia so its hard to work

Question 31

What are the challenges for Svalbard involving provision of buildings

Answer 31

• Pipes in the house can burst
• not much hot water
• houses can get soggy from the snow/ice

Question 32

What are the challenges for Svalbard involving infrastructure

Answer 32

• Have to travel by snowmobile ~ only 50km of roads
• No good internet connection because its hard to build

Question 33

What are the challenges for Svalbard involving inaccessbility

Answer 33

• airports are very small
• cannot fly direct ~ costly
• often have to travel by boat through frozen, rough water

Question 34

How does use of technology manage cold environments

Answer 34

The trans-Alaskan pipeline is:
- raised to allow animals to migrate underneath it
- retains heat and is raised to prevent it melting the permafrost
- supported to slide if an earthquake occurs preventing oil leaks
- has pumping stations for when the pipe goes rivers and mountains

Question 35

When was the trans-Alaskan pipeline opened

Answer 35

1974

Question 36

How does the role of governments manage cold environments

Answer 36

Whole countries work together.
NOAA oversee sustainable fishing in Alaska to maintain the biodiversity to keep the environment thriving

Question 37

How does the role of International agreements manage cold environments

Answer 37

The Antarctic treaty agrees between many countries that only scientific research is to take place and they have to keep everyone up-to-date to help preserve Antartica

Question 38

How do conservation groups manage cold environments

Answer 38

Alaskan wildlife conservation center look after over 15 Alaskan native species to ensure they don’t become endangered or extinct. They also provide education to all ages so that more people are aware of the dangers cold environments are facing.