Periglacial Landscape

Question 1

What is meant by Periglacial?

Answer 1

Near to or at the fringe of ice sheets. They are areas with permafrost (permanently frozen ground overlain by an active layer), seasonal temperature variation with temperatures above zero degrees during summer and freeze thaw cycles dominating geomorphic processes.

Question 2

What is permafrost and what are the layers of permafrost?

Answer 2

Permafrost is permanently frozen ground overlain by an active layer

Active layer- The top layer, only part of the ground that totally thaws in the summer

Permafrost layer- Middle layer, permanently frozen

Talik- Bottom layer, any unfrozen ground under or within the permafrost

Question 3

What is continuos permafrost?

Answer 3

Where permafrost is at it’s thickest with the least amount of talik. It is find at high altitude (mountains) and high latitude (mostly at the north pole & arctic circle)

Question 4

What is discontinuous permafrost?

Answer 4

Where permafrost is much thinner and has more pockets of talik present. This is found at slightly lower altitudes and latitude in the Northern Hemisphere surrounding the areas of continuous permafrost.

Question 5

Why is there less permafrost in the Southern Hemisphere?

Answer 5

As permafrost can only form over land, and there is less land in the Southern Hemisphere therefore there will be less permafrost

Question 6

How does permafrost change with latitude?

Answer 6

In high latitude areas, permafrost is continuous and moving toward areas of lower latitude, the permafrost changes from continuous to discontinuous to sporadic to none