The Nature & Distribution Of Cold Environments

Question 1

What are the inputs, outputs, stores, and flows in a glacial system? Give 3 things for each of them

Answer 1

• Inputs: Snow, avalanches & solar radiation.
• Outputs: Meltwater, sediment, reflection of solar radiation.
• Stores: Ice masses (glaciers, ice caps, ice sheets)
• Flows: Glacial movement, sediment transport, meltwater flow.

Question 2

What is the difference between fluvioglacial and periglacial landscapes?

Answer 2

• Fluvioglacial landscapes: glacial landscapes that are created by meltwater
• Periglacial landscapes: glacial landscapes that are created by very cold climates (permafrost)

Question 3

Give the 2 types of feedback mechanism in glacial systems? (2 things)

Answer 3

• Positive feedback: Melting glaciers causes movement -> this causes it to be thinner -> making it more likely to be weakened by further warming.
• Negative feedback: Increased heavy snowfall increases the depth of the upland glacier-> this adds weight to the glacier -> causing it to move downslope > which reduces its depth

Question 4

What are the 3 different types of ice cover?

Answer 4

• Ice sheets: Large, dome-shaped masses covering landscapes (e.g., Antarctica, Greenland).
• Ice caps: Smaller ice sheets covering highlands (e.g., Svalbard).
• Ice fields: Ice sheets covering mountain plateaus (e.g., Vatnajökull, Iceland).

Question 5

Where is ice found today? (2 things)

Answer 5

• High latitude: Arctic & Antarctic Circles, where solar radiation is weakest.
• High altitude: Mountain ranges like the Andes, Himalayas, and Alps.

Question 6

How has ice distribution changed from the Pleistocene to today? (3 things)

Answer 6

• Antarctica: 14.5 million km² (Pleistocene) → 13.5 million km² (today).
• Greenland: 2.4 million km² (Pleistocene) → 1.8 million km² (today).
• Scandinavia: 6.6 million km² (Pleistocene) → 0.004 million km² (today).

Question 7

What are the 3 Milankovitch Cycles?

Answer 7

• Eccentricity (stretch): Earth’s orbit shifts between circular and elliptical, altering solar radiation.
• Obliquity (tilt): Earth’s axis tilts between 21°-24°, affecting sunlight distribution.
• Precession (wobble): Earth’s axis wobbles, changing its distance from the Sun.

Question 8

How do volcanic eruptions impact climate?

Answer 8

• Volcanic eruptions release ash, SO₂, CO₂, and water vapour.
• These block solar radiation, cooling the Earth (e.g., Mount Pinatubo, 1991).

Question 9

What are sunspots, and how do they affect climate?

Answer 9

• Sunspots are temporary sports on the sun’s photosphere that send more solar radiation towards the earth.
• They follow an 11-year cycle, increasing Earth’s energy by 0.1%.

Question 10

What are Icehouse and Greenhouse Earth periods?

Answer 10

• Icehouse Earth: Cold periods with extensive ice cover.
• Greenhouse Earth: Warm periods with little or no ice.

Question 11

What are the Pleistocene and Holocene epochs?

Answer 11

• Pleistocene (2.6 million – 12,000 years ago): Multiple glacial and interglacial periods.
• Holocene (12,000 years ago – present): Warmer interglacial period with retreating ice.

Question 12

What was the Little Ice Age? (Give 2 things)

Answer 12

• Occurred in the late 15th to 18th century.
• Temperatures dropped 1°C lower than today, causing rivers like the Thames to freeze.

Question 13

What is the Anthropocene, and why is it significant?

Answer 13

• A proposed new geological era where human activity is the dominant force altering Earth’s systems.