cold environments
- Created by: sponge808
- Created on: 06-01-20 12:58
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- Cold Environments
- Facts
- Svalbard is located north of Finland and north of the Artic circle
- Capital of Svalbard is longyearbyen
- Population of 2642
- Temperatures range from summer highs of 6 to winter lows of -16
- You can’t live in Svalbard for more than 7 years due to the extreme weather conditions
- Challenges
- Melting permafrost (frozen soil) can cause buildings to tip and fall.
- Difficult to provide reliable resources eg. water and electricity.
- Winter temperatures -30
- Darkness from 25th October - 8th March (can cause mental health issues)
- Working outdoors is very difficult and slow due to the weather contains that can cause frost bite.
- Building and maintaining roads is a difficult process due to freezing cracking.
- Poor transport links make places unaccessible.
- Construction work is difficult and can’t happen during winter.
- Gravel roads are only suitable for dogs and sleds rather than cars.
- Opportunities
- Fishing
- Cold waters of the Barents Sea are some of the richest fishing areas in the world.
- There are over 150 species of fish including cod.
- The waters need to be protected control important breeding and nursery grounds
- The Barents seas is jointly controlled by Russia and Norway.
- Energy development
- Energy in Svalbard is mainly produced by burning coal.
- Longyearbyenis the only coal power station in Norway.
- Like Iceland Svalbard has only geothermal energy opportunities.
- Some believe it should be closed down and energy should then be made by renewable sources.
- Tourism
- It provides around 300 jobs for Svalbard residents.
- There is the opportunity to see poplar bears and Northern lights in their natural environment.
- Torism has been increasing in recent years as people seek more extreme experiences.
- In 2011 70,000 people visited the capital of Svalbard. With 30,000 of them being cruise ship passengers.
- The harbour at Longyearbyen has been increased to enable it to cope with the rising numbers of cruise ships.
- Mineral extraction
- Coal mining is vital to their economy.
- Rich coal reserves.
- In recent years the industry has declined ed due to the decrease in coal prices.
- Mining coal is controversial because of all the greenhouse gases it releases.
- More than 300 people are employed in mines.
- Fishing
- Facts
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