Glaciers Flashcards
How does high latitude make environments cold
Higher latitudes get colder as less solar radiation (heat from sun)
What are three factors that make environments cold
High latitude. High altitude. Continentality.
How does high altitude make an environment cold
Colder as air temperature decreases with altitude
How does continentality make environments cold
Far from sea so sea warms costal areas only and not areas in middle of continent
What are glacial environments
Areas of land permanently covered by ice
What is latitude altitude and continentality like in glacial environments
High latitude; Antarctic ice sheet above 60* latitude. High altitudes. Can’t form in middle of continents as not enough snow
What is the definition of a periglacial environment
Temperature below 0* but not covered by ice and has a layer of permafrost
How does latitude, altitude and continentality affect the distribution of periglacial environments
High latitude eg Canada. High altitude. Interior of land masses.
What is the definition of an alpine environment
Cold areas of land above the treeline
How does latitude and altitude affect the distribution of periglacial environments
Always high altitude eg above treeline on himalayas. any latitude eg Rockies in north America
Where is the arctic
North pole
How is the arctic defined
Arctic circle which is 66*N
What’s the area around the land in the arctic like
Sea ice which partially melts each summer but freezes in winter again
Where is Antarctica
South pole
How is Antarctica defined
10* January isotherm as this is hottest month here
Why is antarctica cold
High altitude, up to 4000m high. Interior of land mass cold due to effect of continentality
What are the 4 inputs to glaciers
Snow. Condensation. Sublimation. Rock.
What is sublimation
The change from a gas to a solid without passing through the liquid stage
What are 3 stores in a glacier
Ice. Meltwater. Debris.
What are 5 outputs of glaciers
Meltwater. Surface snow melting and evaporating. Ice and snow sublimating to water vapour. Snow blown away. Calving.
What’s meltwater
Ice melting and flowing out of the glacier
What’s calving
Blocks of ice fall from the front of a glacier into the water, which creates an iceberg lettuce
What’s accumulation
The input of snow and ice
What’s ablation
The output of water from a glacier