The Nature and Distribution of Cold Environments Flashcards
Which two geographical factors are common in cold environments?
- High latitude
- High altitude
What are the four types of cold environment?
- Polar
- Alpine
- Glacial
- Periglacial
What is the distribution of polar environments?
Found at the poles - latitudes of 60°N and 60°S.
What are the examples of polar environments?
- The Arctic
- Antarctica
What is the distribution of alpine environments?
Found in areas of high altitude (3000m+) at any latitude.
What are the examples of alpine environments?
- The Himalayas, Central Asia
- The Pyrenees, Europe
- The Rockies, North America
What is the distribution of glacial environments?
Found in areas covered by ice sheets and glaciers throughout the year (can be in alpine or polar areas).
What are the examples of glacial environments?
- Greenland
- Antarctica
What is the distribution of periglacial environments?
Found on the edges of other cold environments in areas containing permafrost.
What are the examples of periglacial environments?
- Canada, North America
- Siberia, Russia
- Svalbard, Norway
What are the climate characteristics in polar environments?
- Consistently below freezing temperatures (-40°C average)
- Low levels of precipitation (100mm per year)
What are the soil characteristics in polar environments?
- Slow nutrient cycles (nutrient-deprived soils)
- Frozen soil that limits plant growth
What are the vegetation characteristics in polar environments?
- Only highly adapted vegetation, such as mosses and lichens, are able to grow
- Slow decomposition due to cold temperatures
What are the climate characteristics in alpine environments?
- Heavy snowfall in winter
- Heavy rainfall in summer
- Temperatures exceed 0°C in summer
What are the soil characteristics in alpine environments?
- Soils thaw in summer allowing for more plant growth
- More fertile and rich in nutrients than polar soils
What are the vegetation characteristics in alpine environments?
- Adapted vegetation that grows in summer and dies in winter
- Decomposition is much faster than in polar environments
What are the climate characteristics in glacial environments?
- Temperatures are consistently cold enough to sustain glaciers or ice sheets
What are the climate characteristics in periglacial environments?
- Temperatures consistently below freezing
- Low levels of precipitation
What are the soil characteristics in periglacial environments?
- Active layer of soil above permafrost thaws in the summer and becomes waterlogged
- High levels of nutrient leaching
What are the vegetation characteristics in periglacial environments?
- Adapted vegetation that can grow in the harsh climate
- Slow nutrient cycling leading to infertile soils
What are the two most recent geological epochs?
- Pleistocene (2.5 million - 11,700 years ago)
- Holocene (11,700 years ago - present)
What is the Anthropocene epoch?
The most recent period in Earth’s history where human activity has had a huge impact on global climate change.
What is the Last Glacial Maximum?
The most recent period when ice sheets were at their greatest extent (21,000 years ago).
