Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

Human Geography A level > The global commons and Antarctica > Flashcards

The global commons and Antarctica Flashcards

(74 cards)

Start Studying
1
Q

What are the global commons

A
  • Earth’s shared resources that are owned by no one
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Value and importance of Antarctica

A
  • Home to fascinating animals- penguins etc
  • Home to largest ice cap on the planet, storing 61% of the world’s freshwater- if it were to melt, sea levels would rise by 58m
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Governance of Antarctica

A
  • Antarctic Treaty system (ATS)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Degree of success of the ATS

A
  • Massively successful in preventing mining and other large scale invasive commercial operations
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Actors who may help manage threats

A
  • Campaigners
  • Pressure groups
  • NGOs
  • National and local govt
  • Technologies
  • Corporations
  • Education
  • Individuals
  • Media
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Issue of deep sea mining

A
  • Green technology needs rare earth materials for magnets/alloys
  • Causes disagreements of whether deep sea mining should go ahead, as it will damage marine ecosystems which little is known about
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Threats to Antarctica

A
  • Climate change
  • Fishing and Whaling
  • The search for mineral resources
  • Tourism and scientific research
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What is the Antarctic Convergence (Polar front)

A
  • Surface bound where the colder, north flowing Antarctic surface waters sink beneath warmer circulating waters
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What is Calving

A
  • The formation to an iceberg from a glacier
  • Once the ice flowing from a. glacier reaches a body of water it begins to float and crack at the hinge zone
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is a continental shelf

A
  • The region in the ocean around a continent between the shoreline and the continental slope
  • An area of shallow water where the depth is usually less than 200m
  • In Antarctica, the continental shelf averages 500m in depth
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is an ice shelf

A
  • A large, flat topped sheet of ice that is attached to land along one side and floats in the sea or lake
  • Formed where a glacier or ice shelf has reached the water and kept flowing
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What is a moratorium

A
  • A temporary prohibitions of activity
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is a treaty

A
  • A formally concluded and ratified agreement between states
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Difference between ice sheet and ice shelf

A
  • Ice shelf- flowing in sea or lank
  • Ice sheets- Thick, covers landscape beneath so appears as smooth coating of ice
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What might the future hold for Antartica

A
  • Land conflicts- people want control over it to exploit its land and resources as their own becomes depleted
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Avg height above sea level

A
  • 2300m
  • Highest continent
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

How much ice cover in Antarctica

A
  • 97%
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Where does the Antarctic treaty cover

A
  • Area south of 60 degree S latitude
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What is the name of the dividing line which loops around Antartica

A
  • Antarctic convergence
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

How much does sea temperatures fall when you cross Antarctic convergence in summer

A
  • upto 4 degrees Celcius
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What feature divides East (greater) and West (lesser) Antarctica

A
  • Trans-Antarctic mountains
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Name of 3 different research bases and countries which they belong to

A
  • Halley (UK)
  • Palmer (USA)
  • Mcmurdo (USA)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What is the Antarctic convergence zone

A
  • Where the southern ocean meets Indian Ocean
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What is the water like at the Antarctic convergence zone and what does this lead to

A
  • Warm and cold water meets
  • Leads to lots of fish in this area
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Issues with location of ACZ and ATS extension zone
- Some of the ACZ is inside the ATS boundary, causing people to potentially illegally fish inside the ATS boundary - Overfishing outside the ATS boundary as there is nothing which can be done about it
26
How much of the world's ice is in Antarctica
- 90%
27
Thickness of ice in some places
- 5km
28
Which part of Antarctica is stable
- The east (EAIS)
29
Why is the EAIS more stable
- Extremely cold temps, so even if temp rose it would still not melt
30
Which part of Antarctica is less table
- West (WAIS)
31
Why is WAIS less stable
- Much of it sits below sea level, so very sensitive to small rises in sea level, which would cause it to thin - Drained by several ice streams
32
Which region of Antarctica is unstable
- Antarctic Peninsula (AP)
33
Why is AP unstable
- One of the most rapidly warming places in the world- increased 3 degrees C in the last 50 years - This is caused by strengthening of winds that encircle Antarctica, driving changes in oceanic circulation
34
Why is Antartica classed as a fragile environment
- Extremely sensitive to climate change - Any Changes in tropic systems could be detrimental- 'Greening'
35
Factors affecting climate in Antarctica
- Latitude- far from equator so less concentrated energy from the sun - High altitude- temp falls 1 degree every 100m in height - Albedo- high snow cover reflects more heat
36
Coldest temp ever recorded in Antarctica
- -89 degrees C
37
Highest wind speed ever recored in Antarctica
- 300km/h
38
How is climate change a threat to Antarctica
- Sea level rise can pose a threat to EAIS and AP - Ocean acidification can have a large impact on Polar and submarine ecosystems - Melting of ice caps would cause unto 60m rise in sea level
39
How is fishing and whaling a threat to Antarctica
- Blue and Right whales main targets for oil and Whalebone- highly profitable business- prominent in 19th and 20th century - However IWC led to end of most whaling, by establishing the Southern Ocean Whale sanctuary, a 50 million square km around Antarctica - Japan opposed IWC's proposals
40
How is the search for mineral resources a threat to Antarctica
- Rich in coal, oil, manganese, titanium and even gold and silver- very high in demand and valuable - However hostile environment makes mining near impossible and therefore not economically viable (yet)
41
How is tourism and research a threat to Antarctica
- IAATO run most tourism here, ensuring it is well run, with environmental affect minimal - However the fragile ecosystem is easily damaged, and most attend during peak wildlife breeding periods - Research accounts for most of the semi-permanent population- can cause compaction of ice
42
What is Mitigation
- Actions, strategies, measures or projects undertaken to offset detrimental impacts of a pricess
43
What is adaptation
- Alteration or adjustment in the structure of a function of an organism or system which enables it to survive in changing conditions
44
What is resilience
- The degree to which a population or environment can absorb a change and remain within the same state of organisation
45
Who governs Antarctica
- No government in charge - 7 Countries made claims - Areas assigned recognised only as research zones
46
Importance of ATS
- Agrees not to allow future claims of sovereignty - Guaranteed free access and research rights to all - Prohibit military activity such as nuke testing - Bans dumping of nuclear waste
47
Pressures on ATS in 1990s
- Many wanted to exploit underground resources of Antarctica, going agains treaty
48
How does the wider ATS differ from the ATS
- Wider ATS includes organisations such as NGOs and scientific organisations ton contribute to decision making - ATS is just a complexity of agreements to control activity in Antarctica
49
How many countries signed AT (1959)
- 58
50
Purpose of AT
- Regulate relations among states who are interested in Antarctica
51
How is ATS enforced
- UNEP have 'observer status' in ATS meetings - Monitored by scientific researchers - Environmental audits carried out at bases - National laws apply to citizens not areas
52
Issues with ATS
- Not mandatory- countries don't have to sign - Inspections rare - Decisions must be unanimous- hard to reach
53
Purpose of Madrid protocol (1991)
- Provide comprehensive protection of the Antarctic environment, particularly against mineral exploitation - Ensure human activity minimises environmental impact
54
Full name of Madrid protocol
- Protocol on Environmental protection to the Antarctic treaty
55
What did the Madrid protocol entail
- Committee for environmental protection to implement protocol - Antarctica depicted as 'natural reserve dedicated to peace and science' - Prohibition of all mining - Environmental impact assessments prior to all activity
56
Issues with Madrid protocol
- No single unifying system - Limited areas - Some key points in protocol not clearly defined - doesn't directly include climate change
57
What was the purpose of the International whaling commission (IWC) and Whaling moratorium (1982)
- To provide conservation of whale stocks and the sustainable development of the whaling industry
58
What did the IWC and the Whaling moratorium entail
- Limitations on number and size of whales allowed to be caught - No suckling calves or females to be caught - Designated areas as whale sanctuaries
59
Issues with IWC and Whaling moratorium
- Japan, Norway and Iceland continue to engage in commercial whaling - Japan withdrew from IWC in 2019
60
Why are NGOs needed in Antarctica
- Large scale- needs a range of specialists - Spread awareness at global level - Provides independent perspective- nothing to gain
61
What is ASOC
- Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition
62
ASOC is an umbrella organisation comprised of which NGOs
- WWF - Whale and Dolphin consecution society (WDCS) - Greenpeace - Friends of the Earth - Ocean alliance +many more
63
What is SCAR
- Scientific Committee on Antarctic research
64
What is ASOCs purpose
To advocate stronger environmental protection in Antarctica, particularly in relation to tourism, fishing and climate change - Successfully lobbied for Madrid protocol
65
What is CCAMLR
- Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources
66
Purpose of CCAMLR
- Manage and conserve marine ecosystems in the southern ocean, focusing on sustainable fisheries and ecosystem based management
67
What is CCAMLR an example of
- IGO
68
ASOC scope
- Represents over 30 global NGOs - Focuses on marine conservation
69
Successes of ASOC
- Played key role in Madrid protocol and helped establish Ross sea MPA
70
Challenges of ASOC
- Lacks enforcement - Relies on diplomatic pressure and advocacy - Resistance from some nations slows progress
71
SCAR purpose
- To coordinate international scientific research in Antarctica, providing independent advice on climate change, biodiversity and ecosystem changes
72
SCAR scope
- Works with over 40 countries - Provides scientific guidance to ATS, CCAMLR and IPCC
73
SCAR successes
- Influential in shaping climate policy by providing key data on Antarctic ice loss - Research contributed to stricter fisheries
74
SCAR challenges
- Purely advisory- govts may ignore its recommendation

Human Geography A level (9 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions