Glaciation Flashcards

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1
Q

What is permafrost ?

A

Where a layer of soil, sediment or rock below the ground surface remains almost permanent frozen

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2
Q

What is a fragile environment?

A

An environment susceptible to change and easily damaged

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3
Q

How long was the Pleistocene period ?

A

Approx 2 million years

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4
Q

When did the Pleistocene period end ?

A

11,700 years ago

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5
Q

What is the name given to the period of cooling between 1550 to 1850 which occurred after the medieval warm period?

A

The little Ice age

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6
Q

What is the word to describe periods of cold ice advances?

A

Stadials

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7
Q

Define an interstadial period

A

Periods of warm ice retreat

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8
Q

Which epoch are we currently within?

A

The Holocene

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9
Q

Define the cryosphere

A

The frozen part of the earths hydrological system

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10
Q

What is the albedo effect?

A

The ability of snow and ice to reflect heat (solar radiation) back
off the earths surface

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11
Q

What are ice sheets ?

A

Vast expanses of ice

Often over 1km thick

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12
Q

What are ice shelves?

A

Where ice sheet margins extend out to sea

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13
Q

What are ice caps?

A

Small masses of ice associated with mountain ranges

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14
Q

What are ice fields?

A

Areas of ice less than 50,000km squared

Extensive regions of interconnected valley glaciers

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15
Q

What is the name of high mountain peaks that rise above ice fields?

A

Nunataks

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16
Q

What is the name given to the temperature at which ice is in the verge of melting ?

A

Pressure melting point

17
Q

What is a polar region and an example of where one is located?

A

Areas of permanent ice and of high latitude

Ex - Central Greenland

18
Q

What is a periglacial region and what is an example or one ?

A

Areas at the edge of permanent ice
Characterised by permafrost
Ex- Russia

19
Q

What is an alpine region and where would you find one ?

A

High altitude regions resulting in cold conditions
Glaciers are often found here
Ex- the Himalayas

20
Q

What is a glacial environment and what is an example of one ?

A

Environments found at the edges of ice sheets and in the higher mountain regions
Ex- the Southern Andes

21
Q

What process can be sporadic, continuous or discontinuous depending on temperature ?

A

Permafrost

22
Q

Define the active layer ! (Permafrost )

A

A saturated and mobile layer above permanently frozen material that thaws and freezes regularly and seasonally