These IB HL Geography Notes cover all aspects of the syllabus for the Unit 1 topic Extreme Environments. They are typed, organised, include diagrams and graphs, and are for the new specification, first examinations in 2019.
Case studies Notes for IB Geography Option G: Urban environments
Learn to do list for IB Geography Unit 1: Changing population
All for this textbook (25)
Written for
IB
IB Geography
Unit 1 - Extreme Environments
All documents for this subject (1)
Seller
Follow
MargauxG
Reviews received
Content preview
Extreme Environments
Part 1
Global-scale distribution of cold and high altitude environments (polar, glacial areas, periglacial
areas, high mountains in non-polar places) and hot arid environments (hot deserts and semi-arid
areas)
Cold and high altitude environments:
Very uneven distribution
In general, cold environments are found in high latitudes and at high altitudes
Polar environments located near the north and south pole - levels of insolation are very low
Northern hemisphere: belt of periglacial environments
Zone generally not in the southern hemisphere except in small areas, given the relative lack
of land mass
Desert and semi-arid environments:
Cover as much as 1/3 of the Earth's surface
Generally located around the tropics and are associated with permanent high-pressure
systems which limit the potential for rain formation
Four main factors that determine the location of the world's main deserts:
o Location of stable, high pressure conditions at the tropics (Sahara and Australian
Deserts)
o Continentality (distance from the sea) (Sahara, Australia and parts of the south west
USA)
o Rain shadow effects (Patagonia, Gobi)
o Proximity of cold upwelling currents, which limit the amount of moisture held in the
air (west coast of South America (Atacama), west coast of southern Africa (Namib))
Relief and climatic characteristics that make environments extreme, including unreliability and
intensity of rainfall in arid environments and the risk of flash floods
Conditions in extreme environments:
Cold and high-altitude environments:
Varied in their characteristics
Mountain environments: warm days and cold nights. Large amount of rainfall due to relief
rain. However some mountain areas receive small amounts of rainfall because they are in a
rain shadow.
Polar areas generally receive low rainfall- cold deserts
Mountains are difficult to build on and they act as barriers to transport. Soils often thin and
suffer from run off and erosion
Periglacial areas (tundra regions) produce low rates of evaporation, and soils are frequently
waterlogged.
Growing season relatively short as temperatures are above 6 degrees C for only a few
months a year
Some periglacial areas support large numbers of people, and there may be important
settlements adjacent to some high-altitude environments
Desert and semi-arid environments:
In desert areas, the lack of water acts as a major constraint for development.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller MargauxG. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $5.98. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
