Mid Years Flashcards
Where is a cold environment located on the globe?
Cold environments are found at higher latitudes and higher altitudes. They are found in tundra, polar and mountain or alpine biomes.
How does continentality take place?
The world’s oceans and seas takes a long time to warm up in comparison to land which warms quickly. BUT,
once the sea has warmed up, it keeps it heat for much longer (far longer than
land) and warms up coastal places.
Where are cold environments found globally?
They can be found in the North Pole, Antartica, Greenland and Canada.
What is a glacier?
A glacier is a huge mass of ice that moves slowly over
land. It forms when there is a build up of snow over a
number of years. They can be found at altitude or sea
level. They are known as rivers of ice.
Why do glaciers grow and shrink?
The glacial budget varies during the course of a year. In the summer, ablation will be at its highest, because of rapid melting of ice. During the winter, higher amounts of snowfall and limited melting will result in accumulation being greater than ablation.
Explain plucking
When meltwater at the base of the glacier freezes on the rock surface. As the glacier moves forward it extracts pieces of the rock
surface.
What are the 3 main processes of erosion?
Plucking, freeze-thaw and abrasion.
Explain abrasion
Rock fragments in the ice grind against the rock over which the ice is moving and wears away the land. (Like rough sandpaper)
Explain freeze-thaw
This is a type of weathering. Water settles into cracks in the rock, then freezes and expands. This puts pressure on the surrounding rock. As it thaws, the pressure is released. As this repeats, rocks break away.
How is a corrie formed?
A corrie is a horseshoe-shaped valley which is formed through erosion by ice or glaciers. Corries are north-facing, away from the sun which stops the ice from melting. As snow and ice build-up, the underlying rock is eroded. Later when the ice is melted it creates a lake called a tarn.
What is a U-shaped valley?
U-shaped valleys form through glacial erosion. Glaciation develops in established v-shaped river valleys where the ice erodes the surrounding rocks to create a “U” shaped valley with a flat bottom and steep sides.
What is the differance between a U shaped and a V shaped valley?
U shaped valleys have been eroded by glaciers but V shaped valleys have been eroded by vertical erosion from rivers.
What are OS maps?
These maps can tell you were something is using 4 figue grid referencing and 6 figure if you want to be more exact. There are also symbols that tell you what things are. They also tell you about height above sea level through contor lines and spot heights.
How can you describe the height on OS maps?
Using countour lines and spot heights this tells you how many meters above sea level you are.
How much would the sea levels increase by in meters if all the ice melted on the earth?
Sea level rise of 67m
