Antarctica Case Study Flashcards
(13 cards)
where is Antractica?
-latitude: mostly south of 66.5 ° south (the Antarctic circle)
-surrounded by the southern ocean
-covered by the largest ice sheet on earth
-major physical features: Transantarctic Mountains, West and East Antarctic ice sheets
describe the location of Antarctica
Most of Antarctica is south of the Antarctic circle, with the exception of parts of the East Antarctic coastline and the Antarctic Peninsula which extends northwards from West Antarctica to about 63° south. Antarctica is located in the southern ocean, its neighbouring countries are Madagascar to the north east, south Africa to the North West and Australia to the south east.
what is the Antarctic Convergence?
a natural boundary in the ocean where cold water from Antarctica meets warmer water from the north, this mixing of water creates a zone that is rich in nutrients, attracting lots of marine life like krill, fish and whales
why is the Antarctic Convergence important?
because it marks the true edge of Antarctica in terms of climate and ecosystems- even though it’s in the ocean, not on the land
describe the wildlife in Antarctica
-humpback whales
-penguins
-giant jellyfish
-orcas
-seals
describe the climate of Antarctica
-coldest
-windiest
-driest
-biggest desert (gets less rain than the Sahara)
what does the climate graph of McMurdo research station show about the climate of McMurdo?
the climate is relatively stable, it has high levels of precipitation and relatively high temperatures
how might the climate of the research stations McMurdo and Vostok impact the ability of scientists to conduct research?
-McMurdo has more visitors because of the higher temperatures
-whereas Vostok is a contained research facility with few researchers because of the extremely low temperatures
how and why is the climate of Vostok and McMurdo different?
The climate at Vostok is much dryer and colder whereas the climate at McMurdo is hotter and wetter. This could be because McMurdo is located along the coast where it is usually wetter.
how are the climate graphs of Vostok and McMurdo similar?
they both follow the same pattern- warmest month in July and coldest month in August
why is Antarctica important?
-scientific research (climate change, glaciology)
-carbon and heat regulation through ocean currents
-indicator of global environment health
-biodiversity: crucial species like krill support entire food chains
describe the climate graph of McMurdo research station
The general trend is that the precipitation fluctuates throughout the year and the temperature changes seasonally. The maximum temperature is -2.9°C in January and the minimum is -26.1°C in August so there’s a range of 23.3°C. The maximum precipitation is 24.9mm in June and the minimum is 11.3mm in November so there’s a range of 13.6mm.
describe the climate graph of Vostok research station
The general trend is that the precipitation stays mostly the same throughout the year but the temperature changes seasonally. The maximum temperature is -31.9°C in January and the minimum is -68°C in August so there’s a range of 36.1°C. The maximum precipitation is 1.6mm in December and the minimum is 0.5mm so there’s a range of 1.1mm.
