Year 8 GEOGRAPHY – Ecosystems – Amazing Antarctica – Lesson 6 Title: Ecosystems – Amazing Antarctica TASK 1: write down the following WOW words. As you go through the information, write the definition for each word (you might find some of the definitions as you work through the booklet). • Precipitation = • Albedo = • Ice sheet = • Glaciers = • Food chain = TASK 2: where is Antarctica? Use the following sentence starters and complete them to explain where Antarctica is located around the world. • Antarctica is located at the _________________ pole. • Antarctica is a country/continent/city. • Nearby countries include ______________________. • The oceans that surround Antarctica are __________________________. TASK 3: watch the video and write down facts about Antarctica https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3uT89xoKuc Antarctica TASK 4: what is the climate like in Antarctica? Read through the information below and answer the questions in red. Climate of Antarctica Antarctica can be called a desert because of its low levels of precipitation, which is mainly snow. In coastal regions, about 200 mm can fall annually. In mountainous regions and on the East Antarctica plateau, the amount is less than 50 mm annually. Evaporation is not as high as other desert regions because it is so cold, so the snow gradually builds up year after year. There are also strong winds, with recordings of up to 200 mph being made. Antarctica's seasons are opposite to the seasons that we're familiar with in the UK. Antarctic summers happen at the same time as UK winters. This is because Antarctica is in the Southern Hemisphere, which faces the Sun during our winter time. Why is it so cold and dry? • The angle of the Sun is low in the sky. This means the energy from the Sun spreads out over a large area. • The area has 24 hours of darkness for some of the winter. Therefore, there is no sunlight for long periods of time. • The surface of Antarctica has a high albedo. This means that a lot of the energy received from the Sun is reflected back into space. • The high altitude of the land. Temperatures decrease approximately 1°C for every 100 m increase in height. • Cold air cannot hold as much water vapour as warm air, so precipitation is less likely. • Oceans store heat so they often create milder temperatures and increased rainfall. However, as Antarctica is such a large land mass, only the very edges of the continent experience this effect. 1. How much rain falls each year? 2. What is the fastest wind speed ever recorded in Antarctica? 3. What happens because the sun is so low in the sky? 4. What does the world ‘albedo’ mean? 5. Find the definition for the world ‘altitude’. How does altitude change the temperature? 6. Why is there limited precipitation in Antarctica? 7. What role do the oceans play for Antarctica? TASK 5: what is the ice like in Antarctica? Draw your own version of the diagram below making sure you use annotations. Challenge: read through the information below. Is there anything else you can add to your diagram from this information? The ice in Antarctica is on average 2.5 km thick. Nearly 99 per cent of Antarctica is covered by an ice sheet. The ice sheet moves by gravity downhill. A few mountain peaks may be seen above the ice sheet. These are called Nunataks. How icebergs are formed: • Glaciers are formed within the ice sheet. • As these glaciers move, the ice within them cracks, creating large crevasses. • When the glacier flows into the sea, an ice shelf is formed. • The ice shelf floats on the water. The largest ice shelf in Antarctica is the Ross Ice Shelf. • If the blocks of ice break free from the glacier, a process called 'calving' forms icebergs. Glacier TASK 6: who lives in Antarctica and what is the food web like? Have a look at the food web below then draw your own version. Challenge: summarise each section of the food chain. For example, you could start by saying “the phytoplankton are eaten by fish and Antarctic krill”. Food web = A network of food chains, showing how they all link together. Summarise your learning in 3 quick points! 1. 2. 3. .