Nature and distriubtion of cold environments

Question 1

Glacial environments

Answer 1

Permanently covered by ice, covered by glaciers or ice sheets

Question 2

Glacial environment climate

Answer 2

Temperatures cold enough for ice to be present all year round, may be warm enough in summer for meltwater to affect glaciers, most glacial environments = high snowfall, in extremely cold areas, e.g. parts of Antarctica, ice sheets and glaciers can persist with low snowfall

Question 3

Glacial environment soil, vegeataiton

Answer 3

Covered by ice permanently, no exposed soil, few plants though algae, moss may grow on the glacier surface during summer

Question 4

Polar environments

Answer 4

Surround north, south poles, made up of the northern land areas of Asia, North America, Europe can inc glacial environments, e.g. Greenland ice sheet, and periglacial environments, e.g. northern Russia

Question 5

Polar environment climate

Answer 5

Very cold never normally above -10, winters normally below -40, can reach -90, precipitation is low (no more 100mm pa), clearly defined seasons with cold summers and even colder winters

Question 6

Polar environment soil

Answer 6

Much of ground covered by ice, where soil is exposed, tends to be thin, nutrient-poor, normally a layer od permafrost (permanently frozen ground) beneath soil

Question 7

Polar environment vegetation

Answer 7

Few plants, some lichens, mosses found on rocks, few grasses in warmer areas, e.g. on coast of Antarctica and some parts Artic

Question 8

Periglacial environments

Answer 8

Where temperature is frequently or constantly below freezing, but which are not covered by ice

Question 9

Periglacial environement climate

Answer 9

Cold, fairly low precipitation (380mm or less mainly in summer), clearly defined seasons with brief, mild summers and long, cold winters

Question 10

Periglacial environement soil

Answer 10

Thin, acidic, not very fertile, normally permafrost layer, topped with a layer of soil that melts in summer

Question 11

Periglacial environement vegetation

Answer 11

Plants grow slowly and don’t grow tall, grasses most common, some small, short trees grow in warmer, sheltered areas, nearer the poles only lichens, mosses can survive

Question 12

Alpine environements

Answer 12

Cold areas of land at an altitude above the treeline, inc glacial cond at higher alts and periglacial cond at lower alts

Question 13

Alpine environement climate

Answer 13

Winters are cold, summers are mild, temperature decreases as alt inc, snowfall can be high

Question 14

Alpine environement soil

Answer 14

Ice melts in summer, soil is exposed in some areas, higher up land is permanently covered by snow, ice and lower down periglacial soils are present

Question 15

Alpine environement vegetation

Answer 15

Seasonally exposed soil means that plants can grow, e.g. grasses and alpine flowers

Question 16

Distribution of cold environments

Answer 16

Polar = Artic polar environment defined by Artic circle (66 N)/10 July isotherm in North Pole, 10 January isotherm in South Pole. Periglacial = found at high latitudes, high altitudes (exist around ice masses in mountain ranges). Alpine = found at high altitudes and any latitude

Question 17

Pleistocene glaciation

Answer 17

The Pleistocene lasted from 2.5 million years ago to 11,700 years ago, during this time there were fluctuations in global temperatures which led to colder glacials (glaciers advancing, sea levels fell), and warmer interglacials (glaciers retreating, sea levels rose), the last glacial maximum (the point ice sheets at largest) was about 21,000 years ago – cold environments extended much further then they do today, e.g. polar ice sheets covered much of UK, most of Southern Europe was periglacial