Chapter 25 G.C. Leong’s  Certificate Physical and Human Geography

Chapter 25: The Arctic or Tundra Climate

This is the final climate zone, found beyond the Arctic Circle ( $66\text{°}N$ ) and in the Antarctic. It is a region of perpetual snow and ice where the ground is frozen for most of the year. 

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1. Key Regions 

• Northern Hemisphere: The northern fringes of Canada, Alaska, Eurasia (Siberia), and Greenland.
• Southern Hemisphere: Virtually uninhabited Antarctica.
• Note: In the South, there is no “Tundra” vegetation because the continent is covered by a permanent ice cap. 

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2. Climate: The “Deep Freeze” 

• Temperature: Summers are very short (2–3 months) and temperatures rarely rise above $10\text{°C}$10°C. Winters are long and dark, with temperatures plummeting to $-40\text{°C}$−40°C.
• Permafrost: The subsoil is permanently frozen. Only the top few inches thaw in summer, creating bogs and marshes.
• Precipitation: Very low (under 25 cm), mostly falling as powdery snow. It is often called a “Cold Desert.”
• Phenomena: Home to the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) and the Midnight Sun (where the sun never sets for weeks in summer). 

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3. Natural Vegetation: The “Ice-Desert” 

No trees can survive here. The vegetation is extremely stunted: 

• Lower Plants: Mosses, Lichens, and Sedges are the most common.
• Reindeer Moss: A specific lichen that is the primary food for reindeer.
• Summer Bloom: During the brief thaw, bright arctic flowers (like poppies and anemones) bloom rapidly. 

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4. Life and Economy 

• Human Tribes:
  • Eskimos (Inuit): Alaska, Canada, and Greenland. Historically lived in Igloos (winter) and Tupiq (summer tents).
  • Lapps: Northern Scandinavia.
  • Samoyeds: Siberia.
• Means of Survival: Hunting seals, walruses, and whales; herding reindeer (by Lapps).
• Modern Change: Mining for Oil (Alaska), Iron Ore (Sweden), and Gold (Canada) has brought modern infrastructure to these remote areas. 

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10 Revision Questions with Mnemonics 

Q1: What is “Permafrost”? 

• A: Ground that remains completely frozen ($0\text{°C}$0°C or colder) for at least two years.
• Mnemonic: “Permafrost is Permanently Painted ice.” 

Q2: Why are there no trees in the Tundra? 

• A: The growing season is too short, and the subsoil is frozen (roots cannot penetrate).
• Mnemonic: “Tundra is Tree-less.” 

Q3: What is the main food for reindeer? 

• A: Reindeer Moss (a type of lichen).
• Mnemonic: “Moss is the Meal.” 

Q4: Name the tribe living in the Siberian Tundra. 

• A: Samoyeds (or Chukchi/Yakuts).
• Mnemonic: “Samoyeds in Siberia.” 

Q5: What is the “Midnight Sun”? 

• A: A phenomenon where the sun remains visible at local midnight in the Arctic/Antarctic circles during summer.
• Mnemonic: “Sun Stays in Summer.” 

Q6: Describe the precipitation in the Arctic. 

• A: Very low (Cold Desert). Most “rain” is actually dry, fine snow.
• Mnemonic: “Arctic is Arid.” 

Q7: What is an “Igloo”? 

• A: A winter shelter made of blocks of snow, used traditionally by Eskimos.
• Mnemonic: “Igloo is Ice-home.” 

Q8: What is the “Aurora Borealis”? 

• A: Natural light displays in the sky, also known as the Northern Lights.
• Mnemonic: “Borealis is Beautiful Beams.” 

Q9: Which mineral is mined in Kiruna, Sweden (Tundra region)? 

• A: Iron Ore.
• Mnemonic: “Kiruna is for Kettles” (Iron). 

Q10: Why is the Tundra called a “Cold Desert”? 

• A: Because it has extremely low precipitation, similar to hot deserts. 

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Quick Summary Table: Tundra Survival 

Group	Region	Main Activity	Mnemonic
Eskimos	N. America	Hunting/Fishing	“Eskimo Eats Seal”
Lapps	Scandinavia	Reindeer Herding	“Lapps Love Reindeer”
Samoyeds	Siberia	Nomadic Herding	“Samoyeds in Snow”

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The G.C. Leong 100-Question Masterclass

Part 1: The Earth & Physical Geography

1. Q: What is the Earth’s shape? A: Geoid (Oblate Spheroid).
2. Q: Which layer is rich in Silica and Aluminium? A: Sial.
3. Q: What is the density of the Earth’s Core? A: Very High (approx. 10–12).
4. Q: Name the “Earth’s Twin.” A: Venus.
5. Q: What is the “Prime Meridian”? A: 0° Longitude (Greenwich).
6. Q: How many minutes per degree of longitude? A: 4 minutes.
7. Q: Where is the International Date Line? A: 180° Meridian.
8. Q: Does the Earth rotate East to West or West to East? A: West to East.
9. Q: What causes the seasons? A: Earth’s Revolution + Tilted Axis.
10. Q: What is an “Igneous” rock? A: Formed from molten magma (Fire-born).
11. Q: Give an example of a Plutonic rock. A: Granite.
12. Q: Which rock type contains fossils? A: Sedimentary.
13. Q: What does Limestone turn into? A: Marble.
14. Q: What does Granite turn into? A: Gneiss.
15. Q: Define “Anticline.” A: The upfold of a mountain.
16. Q: Name a Young Fold Mountain. A: Himalayas (or Alps/Rockies).
17. Q: What is a “Horst”? A: A block mountain (uplifted).
18. Q: What is a “Graben”? A: A rift valley (sunken).
19. Q: Which plateau is the “Roof of the World”? A: Tibetan Plateau.
20. Q: What is “Exfoliation”? A: Onion-skin peeling of rocks (Physical weathering).
21. Q: Which acid is responsible for Carbonation? A: Carbonic Acid.
22. Q: Define “Scree.” A: Rock fragments at the base of a mountain.
23. Q: What is the “Water Table”? A: The upper level of saturated underground water.
24. Q: Where do Geysers get their heat? A: Volcanic/Geothermal activity.
25. Q: What is a “V-shaped” valley? A: A valley carved by a young river.
26. Q: Define “River Capture.” A: A river “beheading” or stealing another’s water.
27. Q: What is a “Pothole” in a river? A: A circular depression in the river bed.
28. Q: Where are “Ox-bow lakes” found? A: The lower/old course of a river.
29. Q: Name the fan-shaped deposit at a river mouth. A: Delta.
30. Q: What is a “U-shaped” valley? A: A valley carved by a glacier.
31. Q: Define “Cirque/Corrie.” A: An armchair-shaped glacial hollow.
32. Q: What is a “Tarn”? A: A lake inside a Corrie.
33. Q: What are “Drumlins”? A: Basket-of-eggs topography (glacial deposition).
34. Q: Define “Fjord.” A: A submerged glacial valley.
35. Q: What is “Deflation” in deserts? A: Wind blowing away loose dust/sand.
36. Q: What is a “Barchan”? A: A crescent-shaped sand dune.
37. Q: Name an “Inselberg.” A: Ayers Rock (Uluru).
38. Q: What is “Loess”? A: Wind-blown fertile silt.
39. Q: What are “Grikes”? A: Deep grooves in limestone pavements.
40. Q: Define “Stalactite.” A: Calcite hanging tight to the cave ceiling.
41. Q: What is a “Polje”? A: A massive depression in Karst regions.
42. Q: Why are lakes temporary? A: They get filled with silt or drained.
43. Q: What is the deepest lake? A: Lake Baikal.
44. Q: Define “Continental Shelf.” A: Shallow submerged edge of a continent.
45. Q: Where is the Mariana Trench? A: Pacific Ocean.
46. Q: What is average ocean salinity? A: 35‰.
47. Q: Name a Warm Current. A: Gulf Stream (or Kuroshio).
48. Q: Name a Cold Current. A: Labrador (or Peru).
49. Q: What is a “Tombolo”? A: A bar connecting an island to the mainland.
50. Q: What are the conditions for coral? A: Warm, shallow, clear, salty water.

Part 2: Weather & Climate

51. Q: What instrument measures humidity? A: Hygrometer.
52. Q: What are “Isobars”? A: Lines of equal pressure.
53. Q: What is a “Stevenson Screen”? A: A shelter for thermometers.
54. Q: Name the low-pressure zone at the Equator. A: Doldrums.
55. Q: Which way do winds blow in the N. Hemisphere? A: Deflected to the Right.
56. Q: What is “Orographic Rain”? A: Relief rain (caused by mountains).
57. Q: Describe Equatorial climate. A: Hot and Wet all year.
58. Q: What are “Selvas”? A: Amazon rainforests.
59. Q: Name an Equatorial tribe. A: Pygmies (Congo).
60. Q: Define “Monsoon.” A: Seasonal reversal of winds.
61. Q: Which tree is famous in Monsoon forests? A: Teak.
62. Q: What is “Shifting Cultivation” in India? A: Jhum.
63. Q: What is “Savanna”? A: Tropical grassland (Parkland).
64. Q: Name a Savanna tree. A: Baobab.
65. Q: Who are the Masai? A: Cattle herders of East Africa.
66. Q: What is the “Harmattan”? A: The Doctor wind (dry/dusty).
67. Q: Name the driest desert. A: Atacama.
68. Q: What are “Xerophytes”? A: Drought-resistant plants.
69. Q: What is a “Wadi”? A: A dry desert valley.
70. Q: When does rain fall in Mediterranean climate? A: Winter.
71. Q: What is “Viticulture”? A: Cultivation of grapes.
72. Q: Name a Mediterranean wind. A: Mistral (Cold) or Sirocco (Hot).
73. Q: What is the “Prairies”? A: N. American temperate grasslands.
74. Q: What are “Steppes”? A: Eurasian temperate grasslands.
75. Q: What is the “Chinook”? A: Snow-eater wind.
76. Q: Where is the “Pampas”? A: Argentina.
77. Q: What are “Downs”? A: Australian grasslands.
78. Q: Describe “China Type” rain. A: All year, Summer maximum.
79. Q: What is “Sericulture”? A: Silk farming.
80. Q: Name a storm in the China Sea. A: Typhoon.
81. Q: Describe “British Type” climate. A: Cool temperate western margin.
82. Q: What is “Mixed Farming”? A: Crops + Livestock.
83. Q: Name a British type tree. A: Oak (or Beech).
84. Q: What is “Taiga”? A: Coniferous forest.
85. Q: Name a Taiga tree. A: Pine (or Spruce).
86. Q: Where is the “Cold Pole”? A: Verkhoyansk.
87. Q: What is the soil in Taiga called? A: Podzol.
88. Q: Describe “Laurentian” climate. A: Cool temperate eastern margin.
89. Q: Why are Grand Banks famous? A: Fishing (Gulf + Labrador meet).
90. Q: What is “Permafrost”? A: Permanently frozen ground.
91. Q: Name a Tundra plant. A: Lichen (or Moss).
92. Q: Who are the Inuits? A: Eskimos of N. America.
93. Q: What is the “Midnight Sun”? A: 24-hour sunlight in Arctic.
94. Q: Name the “Northern Lights.” A: Aurora Borealis.
95. Q: What is a “Polder”? A: Land reclaimed from the sea (Netherlands).
96. Q: What is “Transhumance”? A: Seasonal movement of livestock to pastures.
97. Q: Define “Insolation.” A: Incoming Solar Radiation.
98. Q: What is “Albedo”? A: Reflectivity of a surface.
99. Q: Which layer of the atmosphere contains the Ozone? A: Stratosphere.
100. Q: Who wrote this book? A: G.C. Leong