The Nature and Distribution of Cold Environments

Question 1

Which two geographical factors are common in cold environments?

Answer 1

• High latitude
• High altitude

Question 2

What are the four types of cold environment?

Answer 2

• Polar
• Alpine
• Glacial
• Periglacial

Question 3

What is the distribution of polar environments?

Answer 3

Found at the poles - latitudes of 60°N and 60°S.

Question 4

What are the examples of polar environments?

Answer 4

• The Arctic
• Antarctica

Question 5

What is the distribution of alpine environments?

Answer 5

Found in areas of high altitude (3000m+) at any latitude.

Question 6

What are the examples of alpine environments?

Answer 6

• The Himalayas, Central Asia
• The Pyrenees, Europe
• The Rockies, North America

Question 7

What is the distribution of glacial environments?

Answer 7

Found in areas covered by ice sheets and glaciers throughout the year (can be in alpine or polar areas).

Question 8

What are the examples of glacial environments?

Answer 8

• Greenland
• Antarctica

Question 9

What is the distribution of periglacial environments?

Answer 9

Found on the edges of other cold environments in areas containing permafrost.

Question 10

What are the examples of periglacial environments?

Answer 10

• Canada, North America
• Siberia, Russia
• Svalbard, Norway

Question 11

What are the climate characteristics in polar environments?

Answer 11

• Consistently below freezing temperatures (-40°C average)
• Low levels of precipitation (100mm per year)

Question 12

What are the soil characteristics in polar environments?

Answer 12

• Slow nutrient cycles (nutrient-deprived soils)
• Frozen soil that limits plant growth

Question 13

What are the vegetation characteristics in polar environments?

Answer 13

• Only highly adapted vegetation, such as mosses and lichens, are able to grow
• Slow decomposition due to cold temperatures

Question 14

What are the climate characteristics in alpine environments?

Answer 14

• Heavy snowfall in winter
• Heavy rainfall in summer
• Temperatures exceed 0°C in summer

Question 15

What are the soil characteristics in alpine environments?

Answer 15

• Soils thaw in summer allowing for more plant growth
• More fertile and rich in nutrients than polar soils

Question 16

What are the vegetation characteristics in alpine environments?

Answer 16

• Adapted vegetation that grows in summer and dies in winter
• Decomposition is much faster than in polar environments

Question 17

What are the climate characteristics in glacial environments?

Answer 17

• Temperatures are consistently cold enough to sustain glaciers or ice sheets

Question 18

What are the climate characteristics in periglacial environments?

Answer 18

• Temperatures consistently below freezing
• Low levels of precipitation

Question 19

What are the soil characteristics in periglacial environments?

Answer 19

• Active layer of soil above permafrost thaws in the summer and becomes waterlogged
• High levels of nutrient leaching

Question 20

What are the vegetation characteristics in periglacial environments?

Answer 20

• Adapted vegetation that can grow in the harsh climate
• Slow nutrient cycling leading to infertile soils

Question 21

What are the two most recent geological epochs?

Answer 21

• Pleistocene (2.5 million - 11,700 years ago)
• Holocene (11,700 years ago - present)

Question 22

What is the Anthropocene epoch?

Answer 22

The most recent period in Earth’s history where human activity has had a huge impact on global climate change.

Question 23

What is the Last Glacial Maximum?

Answer 23

The most recent period when ice sheets were at their greatest extent (21,000 years ago).