A LevelGeographyAQATopic Questions7. Global Systems & Global Governance7.6 Antarctica as a Global Common

Antarctica as a Global Common (AQA A Level Geography)

Topic Questions

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Figures 1, 2 and 3 show climatic statistics for three places in Antarctica.

Figure 1

Temperatures (degrees Celsius)

  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Mean
Annual
temperature
1 −32 −44 −58 −65 −66 −65 −67 −68 −66 −57 −43 −42 -56
2 −28 −41 −54 −57 −57 −58 −60 −60 −60 −51 −38 −28 -49
3 0 −6 −14 −17 −19 −19 −22 −23 −21 −16 −7 −1 -14

1 = Vostok (78 degrees S - near to the 'Pole of Inaccessibility' - the point on Antarctica that is furthest from the sea in any direction). Height 3448 metres

2 = Amundsen-Scott (90 degrees S - the base at the South Pole). Height 2880 metres

3 = McMurdo (79 degrees S - on the coast of the Ross Sea). Height 24 metres

Figure 2

Precipitation (mm water equivalent)

  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total
1 0.1 0 0.7 0.5 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.3 0.2 0.1 0 4.1
2 0.2 0.3 0 0 0.1 0 0 0 0.1 0 0 0.1 0.8
3 15 21.2 24.1 18.4 23.7 24.9 15.6 11.3 11.8 9.7 9.5 15.7 200.9

Figure 3

Average length of day (hours)

  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
2 24 24 17.8 0 0 0 0 0 17.2 24 24 24

Using Figures 1, 2, and 3, analyse characteristics of the climate of Antarctica


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2
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‘In a globalising world the use of the global common of Antarctica can never be sustainable.’

How far do you agree with this view?



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3
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‘Climate change and pressures from economic growth mean that it is becoming more difficult to protect the global commons, such as Antarctica.’

To what extent do you agree with this view?

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Figure 2a shows percentage breakdown of main tourist activities for visitors to Antarctica in 2016–17. In the 2016–17 season there were 44 202 visitors to Antarctica.

Figure 2b shows a small-boat landing party of tourists visiting a penguin colony on South Orkney Islands in Antarctica.

Figure 2a

percentage breakdown of main tourist activities for visitors to Antarctica in 2016–17. In the 2016–17 season there were 44 202 visitors to Antarctica.

fig-2a-inserts-paper2-nov2020-aqa-alevel-geography

Figure 2b

a small-boat landing party of tourists visiting a penguin colony on South Orkney Islands in Antarctica

fig-2b-inserts-paper2-nov2020-aqa-alevel-geography

Using Figure 2a, Figure 2b and your own knowledge, to what extent do you agree that tourism is a threat to Antarctica?

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5
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Assess the relative importance of NGOs and international government organisations in enhancing protection of Antarctica.

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6
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Figure 1a shows the mean July temperatures at Faraday, a research station in Antarctica, between 1976 and 2016.

Figure 1b is a graph showing the annual mean temperature at Faraday between 1950 and 2016.

Figure 1c shows the mean July temperatures in rank order and the formula for calculating inter-quartile range.

Figure 1a 

Year Mean July temperature (degreeC)
1976 -11.8
1980 -16.0
1984 -6.4
1988 -5.4
1992 -10.4
1996 -5.7
2000 -3.8
2004 -4.8
2008 -4.7
2012 -3.9
2016 -8.5


Figure 1b

fig-1b-paper2-june2018-aqa-alevel-geography

Figure 1c

Position Mean July temperature (degreeC)
1 -3.8
2 -3.9
3 -4.7
4 -4.8
5 -5.4
6 -5.7
7 -6.4
8 -8.5
9 -10.4
10 -11.8
11 -16.0

  Inter-quartile range:

  Upper-quartile (UQ) = th position = _________ degreeC

  Lower-quartile (LQ)  = fraction numerator 3 open parentheses n plus 1 close parentheses over denominator 4 end fraction th position = _________ degreeC

  Inter-quartile range (IQR) = _____________

  IQR is the difference between UQ and LQ 

Complete Figure 1c and analyse the temperature variations shown in Figures 1a, 1b and 1c.

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