Cold Environments Flashcards
What is a cold environent?
A cold environment is where the Temperatures are below freezing
Where can cold environments be found?
They can be found in:
The polar regions
The alipine regions
The glacial regions
The periglacial regions
What is Altitude?
Altitude is the height distance measurement commonly in the vertical direction
For every 100m in the air the temperature drops by 1 degree
What is latitude?
the distance from the earth’s equator
The further you are from the equator the colder it is
What is continentality?
the farther you are away from an ocean or large amount of water, the greater the seasonal temperature change
What is plucking
When meltwater at the base of the glacier freezes on the rock surface. As the glacier moves forward it takes pieces of the rock surface.
What is abrasion?
Rock fragments in the ice grind against the rock over which the ice is moving and wears away the land. (Like rough sandpaper)
What is freeze thaw?
Rainwater collects in a crack
The temperature falls below 0°C.
The water freezes and expands making the crack bigger
After repeating freezing amd thawing the rock breaks off
What is a glacier?
A huge mass of ice that moves slowly over land
In glacier systems what is the input?
Snow
In a glacier system, What is the process?
Glacial erosion
Removal and transport of bedrock or sediment
In a glscier system, What is the output?
Ice and meltwater
What is the accumulation zone.
where there are inputs into the glacial budget.
What is the ablation zone?
where there are outputs from the glacial budget.
What does a small glacier eventually form?
Snow accumulates in a sheltered hollow and becomes compacted
