Lesson 13: The Value Of Relict And Active Glaciated Landscapes Flashcards
Define cultural value
Relates to the ideas and behaviour of society
Define environmental value
Biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) things around us
Examples under cultural value
Spiritual and religious isnpiration
Leisure and recreation opportunities
Native people with distinctive cultures
Scientific research i.e. core analysis
Examples of environmental value
Water cycling
Climate control
Carbon cycling
Weather system control
Fragile ecosystems
Carbon sequestration
Genetic diversity
Greenland population density?
0.14 people per km2
% of Greenland population who are Inuit?
80%
% of greenland poplaution of European descent?
12%
% of global ice mass in Greenland?
10%
Which organisation reported the loss in ice mass in Greenland in 2014?
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
How much has the average rate of ice loss in the Greenland ice sheet increased by, between which years?
34 Gt in 1992-2001 to 215 Gt in 2002-2011
How much did the Greenland ice sheet contribute to sea level rise between 1993-2010?
0.33mm per year
If the whole of the Greenland ice sheet melted it would cause how much rise to sea levels?
7m
What cities would flood as a result of the Greenland ice sheet melting?
Boston, LA, London, NYC, Shanghai
Which countries would disappear if the Greenland ice sheet melted?
Bangladesh and Maldives
What characteristic does ice have which affects and regulates climate?
High albedo
How would this characteristic change with increased melting?
Reduced ice mass means reduced surface albedo, increasing the amount of solar energy absorbed, further increasing temperatures - positive feedback loop
How do Greenlandic Inuit's use the landscape and resources?
Hunting, fishing and herding
How have environmental groups affected the Inuit way of life?
Hunting limits on most species, and the loss of sea ice is reducing hunting grounds
How is the Greenland ice sheet useful to scientists?
Unique record of the Earth's climate history - made up of layers of snow and ice, with trapped gases, dust, pollen, and water molecules
Economic benefit of meltwater?
Hydroelectric power
Valuable deposits of oil, gas, metals and minerals
What could open up as the changing climate causes sea ice retreat?
New commercial shipping routes
Example of new trade route?
Northwestern Passage
Environmental impacts to the Greenland ice sheet?
Marine pollution
Overfishing
Discharge of ballast water may introduce invasive species
Intensive mining - pollution
When and where did a protest occur by conservationists in Greenland after a reverse on a ban of radioactive uranium mining?
2014
Capital Nuuk
What was found in polar bears which makes their future uncertain?
POPs (persistent organic pollutants)
Impair ability to reproduce
Political tensions in the Arctic? When?
2007 Russia placed a flag on the seabed to claim the area - tensions with other Arctic nations like Denmark and Canada
Example of periglacial landscape
Yamal Peninsular, Russia
Temperatures in the Yamal Peninsular?
Lowest of -50 degrees
How deep is permafrost in Yamal Peninsular?
Up to 300m deep
Nomadic people in the Yamal?
Nenets - nomadic reindeer herders
Environmental value of Yamal?
Migratory habitat for birds in the summer
Large-scale carbon sink
Stores methane in permafrost
Cultural value of Yamal to the Nenets?
Use reindeer for transport, clothing, hides for tents, meat and income - all used sustainably
Migrate seasonally to avoid cold temps. and prevent overgrazing
How many Nenets does reindeer herding support?
10 000
How many reindeer do the Nenets herd?
300 000 domesticated reindeer
How much of the Yamal is owned by herders?
80%
Why are the herders unable to compete economically?
World's largest gas reserve beneath
% of gas reserves below?
25%
What was discovered in the Yamal in July 2014?
Large sinkholes
What area of the Yamal was destroyed by gas infrastructure constructed?
Pasture on the Bovanenkovo gas field
What is the Yamal now part of and being developed by?
Part of the Yamal megaproject
Gazprom
How many km of railway are to be built in the Yamal?
572 km
How many herders have been evicted by developing infrastructure?
160 reindeer herders
How does farming provide economic value to glaciers?
In developing country’s, mountainous regions suffer from limitations in transport links, access to essential supplies and markets and employment opportunities. The highlands are largely inhabited by indigenous communities who gain their living from subsistence farming
% of people in Bolivia living in High Andes?
70%
% of GDP those earn who live in High Andes?
30%
% in Bolivia below the poverty line?
60%
Where do the indigenous people live in the High Andes?
Altiplano
Farming in developed countries to provide economic value?
Agriculture in upland glaciated regions is primarily pastoral (livestock) because of the above-average precipitation, rugged terrain with steep slopes and stony, shallow soils, which together make growing crops very difficult
How does tourism provide economic value to glaciers?
Visitors attracted to the spectacular scenery of both present-day and relict glaciated landscapes. A huge range of year-round, outdoor activities are possible in Alpine landscapes such as hill walking, climbing, mountaineering and skiing
Name some areas affected by tourism increasing?
Swiss Alps, Everest, Alaska, Greenland, Arctic and Antarctic etc
How does forestry provide economic value to glaciers?
Upland areas are being used increasingly for forestry due to the difficulty to use the land for hill farming
Where is forestry notable in this case?
UK - use of non-native, quick growing conifers like Sitka spruce used for soft-timber wood ad paper
How does mining and quarrying provide economic value to glaciers?
-Glacial erosion removes regolith (loose overlying soil) and vegetation to expose economically valuable rocks - mined as many are igneous or metamorphic rocks
-In lowland areas, outwash deposits from the Pleistocene Ice Sheets provide a source of sand and gravel for the building industry - concrete
How does hydroelectricity provide economic value to glcaiers?
Major use of water derived from glaciers
Countries which source 90% of HEP from glaciers?
Norway and New Zealand
How many HEP stations in Switzerland?
500
% electricity from HEP in Switzerland?
70%
Where can 'micro-hydros' revolutionise the quality of life for villages?
Nepal and Bolivia
