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Glaciers Flashcards

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0
Q

How does high latitude make environments cold

A

Higher latitudes get colder as less solar radiation (heat from sun)

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1
Q

What are three factors that make environments cold

A

High latitude. High altitude. Continentality.

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2
Q

How does high altitude make an environment cold

A

Colder as air temperature decreases with altitude

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3
Q

How does continentality make environments cold

A

Far from sea so sea warms costal areas only and not areas in middle of continent

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4
Q

What are glacial environments

A

Areas of land permanently covered by ice

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5
Q

What is latitude altitude and continentality like in glacial environments

A

High latitude; Antarctic ice sheet above 60* latitude. High altitudes. Can’t form in middle of continents as not enough snow

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6
Q

What is the definition of a periglacial environment

A

Temperature below 0* but not covered by ice and has a layer of permafrost

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7
Q

How does latitude, altitude and continentality affect the distribution of periglacial environments

A

High latitude eg Canada. High altitude. Interior of land masses.

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8
Q

What is the definition of an alpine environment

A

Cold areas of land above the treeline

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9
Q

How does latitude and altitude affect the distribution of periglacial environments

A

Always high altitude eg above treeline on himalayas. any latitude eg Rockies in north America

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10
Q

Where is the arctic

A

North pole

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11
Q

How is the arctic defined

A

Arctic circle which is 66*N

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12
Q

What’s the area around the land in the arctic like

A

Sea ice which partially melts each summer but freezes in winter again

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13
Q

Where is Antarctica

A

South pole

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14
Q

How is Antarctica defined

A

10* January isotherm as this is hottest month here

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15
Q

Why is antarctica cold

A

High altitude, up to 4000m high. Interior of land mass cold due to effect of continentality

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16
Q

What are the 4 inputs to glaciers

A

Snow. Condensation. Sublimation. Rock.

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17
Q

What is sublimation

A

The change from a gas to a solid without passing through the liquid stage

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18
Q

What are 3 stores in a glacier

A

Ice. Meltwater. Debris.

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19
Q

What are 5 outputs of glaciers

A

Meltwater. Surface snow melting and evaporating. Ice and snow sublimating to water vapour. Snow blown away. Calving.

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20
Q

What’s meltwater

A

Ice melting and flowing out of the glacier

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21
Q

What’s calving

A

Blocks of ice fall from the front of a glacier into the water, which creates an iceberg lettuce

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22
Q

What’s accumulation

A

The input of snow and ice

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23
Q

What’s ablation

A

The output of water from a glacier

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24
Q

What’s the glacial budget show

A

The balance between accumulation and Ablation over one year

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25
Q

What’s the zone of accumulation

A

Where there is more accumulation than ablation

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26
Q

What is the zone of ablation

A

Where there is more ablation than accumulation

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27
Q

Whats the equilibrium point

A

Where accumulation and ablation are equal

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28
Q

What’s a positive regime/positive mass balance

A

Where there is more accumulation than ablation over the year so the glacier grows and advances forwards

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29
Q

What’s a negative regime/negative balance

A

Less accumulation than ablation so the glacier shrinks and retreats

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30
Q

How do the seasons affect ablation and accumulation

A

In summer more ablation and more accumulation in winter

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31
Q

How are glaciers formed

A

Snow settles and more snow compacts it and it’s now dense and called firn. Squeezes air out and ice compresses together. Water melts and refreezes In the air spaces making the ice even more dense.

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32
Q

How are glaciers classified

A

By the temperature of the base, which is where the ice touches the valley floor

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33
Q

What is a warm based glacier like

A

Base is warmer than melting point of ice.

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34
Q

Why do warm based glaciers move more easily

A

Ice at the bottom melts and the meltwater acts as a lubricant so the glacier can more downhill more easily.

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35
Q

What type of glacier erodes more and why

A

Warm based because there’s more movement

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36
Q

What are cold based glaciers like

A

Base temperature below ice melting point so little movement

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37
Q

What is basal sliding

A

Meltwater underneath glacier allows it to slide over the ground and this is the main way warm based glaciers move

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38
Q

How does pressure affect glacial movement

A

More melting around protrusions as more pressure so ice can melt at temperatures below 0*c. Meltwater freezes downstream where there’s less pressure so flow tends to be faster round obstructions and slower downstream

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39
Q

What’s rotational flow

A

Glaciers move in an arc shape when they’re in a hollow due to basal sliding

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40
Q

What’s internal deformation

A

Ice bends and warps to flow downhill like a liquid. This is the main way cold based glaciers move.

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41
Q

What’s extensional flow

A

The valley is steep at the top of a glacier so there is a strong gravitational force pulling the ice downwards so it moves quickly. This means there’s more tension so the ice fractures into thick layers which then slip downwards

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42
Q

What’s compressional flow

A

Low down a glacier the ice moves slowly as its not very steep. Faster ice from the head of the glacier pushes down on the slower ice, compressing it. This pressure causes the ice to fracture into layers which then slip forwards.

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43
Q

What’s the three things that affect the speed of glaciers

A

Gradient of valley floor. Thickness of the ice. Basal temperatures.

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44
Q

How does the gradient of the valley floor affect the speed of a glacier

A

If its steeper it’s faster as pressure causes melting

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45
Q

How does th thickness of the ice affect the speed of glaciers

A

More pressure if thick so more melting so faster flow

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46
Q

How ds basal temperature affect how fast a glacier flows

A

If its warm based more movement as more meltwater which allows basal sliding

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47
Q

How do crevasses form

A

Form due to stress on the ice, eg extensional/compressional flow or calving.

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48
Q

How does a bergschrund form

A

Tension caused by the glacier pulling away from the ice attached to the back wall makes a semicircular crevasse that reaches the base

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49
Q

What’s plucking

A

Ice in contact with rock thaws slightly then refreezes around the rocks. When glacier moves forwards it pulls the rock out

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50
Q

What’s abrasion glacier style

A

Debris carried along by the glacier can scrape material off the valley walls and floor

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51
Q

What’s meltwater erosion

A

Where glaciers produce a lot of meltwater which creates streams that cause fluvial erosion

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52
Q

What’s frost shattering

A

Frost shattering breaks rocks off the back and side of valley. Meltwater from snow gets into cracks and freezes. It expands so bits of rock get broken off

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53
Q

What’s debris

A

The material a glacier has gathered

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54
Q

What’s supraglacial

A

Surface of glacier

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55
Q

What’s englacial

A

Within glacier

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56
Q

What’s subglacial

A

At base of glacier

57
Q

What’s till in general

A

Unsourced material deposited by the glacier. Can be called boulder clay. Points in the direction the glacier is flowing

58
Q

What’s lodgement till

A

Till spread onto valley floor by glaciers

59
Q

What’s ablation till

A

Till dropped as a glacier melts, usually near the snout

60
Q

Describe a corrie

A

Bowl shaped or armchair shaped hollow

61
Q

How is a corrie formed

A

Snow collects in a hollow and turns to ice. Basal sliding abrasion and plucking deepen the hollow. Frost shattering and plucking steepen the back wall. When ice is thick enough it flows over the lip and downhill as a glacier.

62
Q

Describe an arête

A

Steep sided ridge between two valleys

63
Q

How is an arête formed

A

Two glaciers flow in parallel valleys. They erode the sidesformijg a sharp ridge between them

64
Q

Describe a pyramidal peak

A

Pointed mountain top with three or more sides

65
Q

How do pyramidal peaks form

A

3 or more corries form back to back and their back walls meet to make the mountains peak. In an exam you’d need to say how a corrie is formed first

66
Q

Describe a glacial trough/u shaped valley

A

Steep sided valley with a flat bottom!

67
Q

How are glacial troughs/u shaped valleys formed

A

Formed by the erosion of v shaped valleys. As the glacier erodes them it makes them deeper and wider

68
Q

Describe a hanging valley

A

High level valleys on a mountain face

69
Q

How are hanging valleys formed

A

By tributary glaciers which are small so erode valley floor less deeply so when glaciers melt the valleys are at a higher level than the glacial trough

70
Q

How are truncated spurs formed

A

When ridges of land that stick out into the valley are chopped off as the main glacier moves past

71
Q

Describe valley steps

A

Steps in the glacial trough/u shaped valley floor

72
Q

How are valley steps for,ed

A

When glacier Erodes the valley mor deeply eg if the rock is less resistant

73
Q

What are tarns

A

Lakes in corries

74
Q

How do tarns form

A

After glacier has retreated. Can be meltwater

75
Q

Describe ribbon lakes

A

Long thin lakes like one of those balloons

76
Q

Describe the formation of ribbon lakes

A

Form in dips caused by erosion of less resistant rock

77
Q

What’s a fjord

A

Long deep inlet

78
Q

Describe the formation of a fjord

A

Form where a valley floods due to sea level rise after the ice has melted

79
Q

Describe a Roche moutonnée

A

Resistant mass of rock on valley floor. Upstream side is called stops and smooth. Downstream called lee and rough

80
Q

Describe the formation of a Roche moutonnée

A

More resistant rock so didn’t erode. Stoss smoothed by abrasion and lee rough due to plucking

81
Q

What’s moraine generally

A

Formations of till deposited by glacier

82
Q

What’s lateral moraine

A

At the sides of a glaciers

83
Q

What’s medial moraine

A

In centre of valley where two glaciers meet

84
Q

What’s terminal moraine

A

At end of glaciers in semicircles

85
Q

Describe a drumlin

A

Half egg shaped hills of till up to 1500m long and 100m high. Often form in groups eg ribble valley in Lancashire. Upstream Stoss wide and tall downstream lee narrow and low

86
Q

Describe the formation of a drumlin

A

Nobody actually know but they guess it’s when the till was streamlined when the glacier readvanced over it

87
Q

Describe erratics

A

Boulders carried a long way by a glacier and deposited in a area of different rock type. Eg some in east England carried from Norway during the ice ages… Yay..

88
Q

What are meltwater streams

A

Streams of meltwater in tunnels under a glacier and out Of its snout

89
Q

Tell me about how meltwater streams erode stuff

A

Fluvial erosion but cause more erosion than rivers of same siZe would as pressure of the ice means it flows quickly.

90
Q

What is permafrost in general

A

Permanently frozen ground, may have an active layer which melts in summer

91
Q

What’s the difference between continuous and discontinuous permafrost

A

In continuous permafrost all the ground is frozen

92
Q

What is solifluction

A

Gradual downhill slumping of saturated soil and rock

93
Q

What’s frost contraction and when does it occur

A

Occurs when temperatures drop very low in winter. The ground contracts and cracks form in the permafrost

94
Q

How are ice wedges formed

A

In spring the active layer thaws and meltwater seeps into cracks formed by frost contraction. The permafrost layer is still frozen so the water in the cracks freezes, which is called an ice wedge

95
Q

Whats frost heave

A

When water in the ground freezes and makes humps on the surface

96
Q

How do ice lenses form

A

They form under stones as stones lose heat faster than the soil, so colder beneath stones. As the Ice expands the stones get pushed up and the ice lense stops the stone from slipping down

97
Q

How does patterned ground form

A

Stones get pushed to the surface by frost heave. Once they reach the surface they roll down to the edges of mounds so they form circles.

98
Q

When do store stripes form

A

If mounds are on a slope the stones roll downhill and form lines

99
Q

When does polygon shaped patterned ground form

A

When the mounds are close together. Frost contraction causes the ground to crack in polygon patterns on the surface. The cracks are filled in with stones, forming the polygon patterned ground

100
Q

What are fluvioglacial deposits like

A

It’s where the meltwater streams deposit the sediment on the valley floor, it’s sorted, unlike glacial deposits

101
Q

What are outwash plains

A

Layers of gravel sand and clay that form in front of where the glacial snout used to be. This is because gravel is heaviest so closest to snout, then sand then clay

102
Q

What are kettle holes

A

Blocks of ice from the glacier can get partially buried by fluvioglacial deposits. When they melt they leave holes in the out wash plains and these are called kettle holes

103
Q

Describe an esker

A

A long winding ridge of sand and gravel that runs in the same direction as the glacier

104
Q

Explain the formation of eskers

A

Deposited by meltwater streams in tunnels underneath the glacier. Wen the glacier retreats the load remains as an esker, so this cn show you where the glacial tunnel used to be

105
Q

Describe kames

A

Mounds of sand and gravel found on the valley floor

106
Q

Explain the formation of kames

A

Meltwater steams on top of glaciers collect in depressions and deposit layers of debris. When the ice melts this is dumped onto the valley floor.

107
Q

Describe kame terraces and their formation

A

Piles of debris against valley walls. Sorted into layers as meltwater stream deposits heaviest load first. So gravel at bottom and sand on top

108
Q

How do proglacial lakes form

A

In front of glaciers eg when meltwater streams become blocked by terminal moraine

109
Q

Explain the formation of delta kame

A

As meltwater streams flow into proglacial lakes they slow and deposit sediment on the ice. When ice melts delta is dumped on valley floor and called a delta came

110
Q

Describe a pingo

A

Conical hill with a core of ice. Can be up to 80m high and 500m wide.

111
Q

How do open system pingos form

A

There’s discontinuous permafrost. Groundwater is forced through gaps between areas of permafrost. The water collects together and freezes, forming a core of ice that pushes the ground above it upwards

112
Q

How are closed system pingos formed

A

In areas of continuous permafrost where there’s a lake at the surface. The lake insulates the ground so the area below it is unfrozen. When the lake dries up the ground isn’t insulated and the permafrost moves around it. The watcollects in the unfrozen part then freezes, pushing the ground above it upwards

113
Q

What resources in cold environments attract development

A

Whales seals and fish for fishing and whaling etc. minerals so mining eg in Canada and Alaska. Oil eg in Alaska. Attractive scenery so more tourists eg antarcticas tourism is rising. Some have potential for hydroelectric power, Norway supplies 99% power in this way

114
Q

What is a fragile ecosystem

A

An ecosystem that would struggle to recover from any damage

115
Q

Why is Antarctica/other cold environments a fragile ecosystem

A

Short growing season restricted to when enough light and warmth so plants can’t recover if damaged. Plants and animals adapted to cold conditions so can’t survive if environment changes. Decay is slow so pollutants remain in environment for a long time

116
Q

How can fishing damage cold environments

A

Disruption of food chains eg fishing krill in southern ocean means less for pengywengys. Overfishing of a species can cause it to become extinct if it’s population depletes a lot. Disrupts the ecosystem eg bottom trawling reduces light levels and catches multiple species rather than just one type of fish

117
Q

How does hydroelectric power development damage cold environments

A

Hydroelectric dams can block migratory paths so fish can’t reach breeding grounds so numbers decrease. Heat up water which can endanger fish used to colder temperatures.

118
Q

How does oil extraction damage cold environments

A

Oil spills can occur during transport, eg in 1989 over 40 million tonnes of oil leaked which killed birds and fish

119
Q

How can tourism damage cold environments

A

Cruise ships can cause pollution. Tourists disrupt wildlife and damage habitats so there’d a reduced biodiversity

120
Q

How can mining damage cold environments

A

Ground and surface water contamination due to chemicals used in mining or released from the mines. Mining produces solid waste and wastewater that needs to be disposed of and if not done properly this pollutes the surrounding area

121
Q

What affect did development of cold environments have on the locals

A

90% of a tribe of Canadian Inuits died due to disease as had not been exposed to it to build up an immunity. Whaling and fishing reduces amount available for natives. Have to rely on government help as no qualifications, 50% Inuits unemployed

122
Q

What does development have to do to be sustainable

A

Not deplete resources or cause long term environmental damage

123
Q

What are three ways of helping development be more sustainable in cold environments

A

National parks allow tourism whilst protecting the environment eg Denali national park in Alaska. Fishing quotas to limit amount caught. Oil pipes had automatic shut off valves to minimise spills if pipes are damaged

124
Q

What is the definition of a wilderness area

A

An area that has been unaffected by large scale human activity

125
Q

How large is antarctica

A

14 million km2. Contains 90% of worlds ice

126
Q

What are the two largest ice sheets in Antarctica

A

Ross shelf and Ronne shelf

127
Q

Why is Antarctic fragile (basic reasons)

A

Little available water for plants. Very cold. Very little sunshine in winter.

128
Q

What’s a fact about rainfall in Antarctica

A

Less than 150mm of rain per year so classified as a desert

129
Q

What’s the average temperature in Antarctica

A

-49*

130
Q

Why is the sea ecosystem in Antarctica fragile

A

If the population of one species decreases it affects other species in the food chain, eg if krill die there’s not enough for fragile

131
Q

What are four of antarcticas natural resources

A

Around 300 species of fish and 8 species of whales. Very attractive scenery. Large underground deposits of coal and iron ore. Large reserves of oil underneath southern ocean around Antarctica

132
Q

What is the Antarctic treaty and when was it set up

A

12 countries signed to agree to protect Antarctica as it is fragile. 1961. Treaty contains protocols and conventions that control or prohibit activities.

133
Q

What does the Antarctic treaty say about oil extraction and mining

A

It’s banned but due to be reviewed in 2048.

134
Q

What does the antarctic treaty say about whaling

A

Commercial hunting was prohibited in 1994 but some is still allowed for scientific research. It used to be allowed but drastically reduced the whale population to only 1000 in the Antarctic.

135
Q

Do a lot of tourists visit antarctica

A

Yes obviously, 45,000 in 2007-2008 season

136
Q

Do a lot of researchers visit antarcrica

A

5000 in summer and 1000 in winter

137
Q

How does the Antarctic treaty control tourism

A

Prohibits discharging of oil from ships. IATO (international association of Antarctica tour operators) say no more than 100 passengers on shore at a time

138
Q

How does the Antarctic trea control scientific research

A

Scientists have to remove most of their waste from the area and treat sewage before disposing of it into the sea

139
Q

How does the Antarctic treaty control the impact of fishing

A

Quotas so there are limits on things such as krill.

140
Q

What’s a nivation hollow

A

In a hollow the ice can melt and refreeze repeatedly. When it freezes it expands so frost shattering breaks off rock at the base. Slopes collapse because they’re waterlogged and have been eroded, and the material is washed away by meltwater. The hollow becomes deeper and wider and this is called a nivation hollow.

141
Q

What’s a solifluction lobe

A

The waterlogged active layer flows over the frozen layer beneath. Solifluction produces lobe formations where one section is moving faster than the other, eg if it’s on steeper ground.

Geography (5 decks)

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