Periglacial Environments

Question 1

What are the three kinds of permafrost? (distribution)

Answer 1

Continuous, Discontinuous, sporadic

Question 2

What is frost heave?

Answer 2

Result of freezing soil and water beneath the surface. When soil freezes, fine grained materials expand. This promoted the creation of patterned ground

Question 3

What are open pingos?

Answer 3

Freezing of water in the upper layers of discontinuous permafrost. Soil causes sediments to rise and form dome shape.

Question 4

What are closed pingos?

Answer 4

A.K.A Mackenzie Pingos.
In areas where small lakes are present, groundwater can be trapped under the surface. This water freezes and expands, which creates a dome shape.

Question 5

What are ice wedges?

Answer 5

Formed when cracks in the permafrost are present. During summer months, water enters cracks, freezes and forms ice wedges. Over several seasons, the wedges increase in size

Question 6

What is solifluction?

Answer 6

Downslope movement of rock and soil as the result of gravity on the melting active layer.

Question 7

What are terracettes?

Answer 7

Another landform formed by soil creep. Found on slopes of about 5 degrees and are small 20-50cm steps on the hillside. Present in the active layer of the permafrost