Svalbard Case study Flashcards
What country do the Svalbard islands belong to?
Norway
What Ocean do they lie in?
The Arctic Ocean
How people and polar bears live on the islands?
3000 people and 3500 polar bears.
What does Svalbard mean? And why is this ironic?
‘Cold coasts’ - however compared to other areas at the same latitude, the climate there is relatively mild.
What is the largest settlement on the island?
Longyearbyen
What do the average temperatures range from in winter to summer in Longyearbyen?
-14* in winter to 6* in summer, although it can fall as low as -40*.
What percentage of Svalbard is covered in ice?
60%
How many glaciers do the islands contain?
2000
What island has the third largest ice cap in the world?
Nordaustlandet
Much of the land is bare ground, what does this consist of?
Rock, screw, moraines and fluvial deposits.
What percentage of the land is vegetated?
10%
What is permafrost?
Where a layer of soil, sediment or rock below the ground surface remains almost permanently frozen?
What is a fragile environment?
An environment susceptible to change and easily damaged.
Where does permafrost exist?
Almost everywhere.
Th island contains no hone largest what area in Europe?
Wilderness area
What are 3 human activities that pose a threat to the island’s wilderness?
Coal mining, scientific research and increasing tourism.
In the past what were two major economic activities in the islands?
Whaling and trapping.
Why has little mineral extraction, apart from coal mining, taken place in Svalbard?
Mining is difficult.
Why is mining difficult? Explain four reasons.
The extreme cold.
The long hours of winter darkness.
Challenging sea conditions affecting transportation to overseas markets.
The remoteness of the mines themselves.
When did the first Svalbard coal reach mainland Norway?
1899
Where does most of the current coal mining take place and how far is this from Longyearbyen?
Sveagruva - 50km south-east of Longyearbyen.
The Norwegian state-owned mining company Store-Norske employs how many of Svalbard’s workers?
A third of all workers.
Why is the company facing economic and political difficulties?
Job losses and calls from environmentalists to end mining on Svalbard.
Why would the end of mining be disastrous for the local community?
Job losses and because the extracted coal supplies all of Svalbard’s energy.
Which countries all run permanent research stations on Svalbard?
Russia, Norway and Poland.
What areas of study have been researched in Svalbard?
Marine ecosystems, geology and meteorology.
What is a lot of current research about?
Analysing atmospheric changes that might be linked to climate change.
What station is near to Longyearbyen?
SVALSAT.
What do huge antennae-studded ‘golf balls’ collect data from?
Satellites orbiting the Earth.
What does Svalbard’s high latitude allow?
Data to be collected quickly from passing satellites, which allows real-time modelling to take place.
Scientific research faces fewer regulations than tourism or mining but does still result in environmental damage in what way?
Infrastructure - the construction of research stations and access roads.
Aesthetically displeasing.
When did a new airport open in Longyearbyen and how did this affect tourism?
1975 - tourist numbers have grown significantly.
How many people visited Longyearbyen in 2013?
70, 000
How many of the 2013 tourists were ship passengers?
30,000
What environmental aspects attract tourists to the islands?
Glaciers, fjords.
Polar bears, seals and walrus.
What adventure activities are on offer to tourists?
Hiking, kayaking and snowmobile safaris.
As a result of increased tourism what has Longyearbyen seen significant growth in?
Tourist facilities such as hotels, shops, restaurants and tour operators.
Although tourism helps the local economy what problems does it bring?
Oil spills and waste discharge from shipping.
Air pollution from flights.
Stress on wildlife and the fragile environment.
What act came into effect in 2002?
The Svalbard Environmental Protection Act to protect the natural environmental, it’s wilderness, flora,fauna and the island’s cultural heritage.
How much of Svalbard is protected through national parks and nature reserves?
Two thirds.
