Antarctica as a Global Common (AQA A Level Geography)

Exam Questions

1 hour6 questions

6 marks

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

−32

−44

−58

−65

−66

−65

−67

−68

−66

−57

−43

−42

-56

−28

−41

−54

−57

−58

−60

−51

−38

−28

-49

−6

−14

−17

−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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Year	Mean July temperature ( $°$ C)
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

Position	Mean July temperature ( $°$ C)
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