AQA A-Level Geography 7037
Water and Carbon Cycles
Hot Desert Systems and LandscapesLandscape
Coastal Systems and LandscapesLandscape
Glacial Systems and LandscapesLandscape
HazardsHazards or ecosystems
Ecosystems Under StressHazards or ecosystems
Global Systems and Global Governance
Changing Places
Contemporary Urban EnvironmentsHuman option
Population and the EnvironmentHuman option
Resource SecurityHuman option
Global Systems and Global Governance
The Southern Ocean and Climate Threats to Antarctica
- 3 things to know
- Component 2
Overview
Recall questions on the Southern Ocean and the Antarctic Convergence, why Antarctica is a global common, and on climate threats including sea ice loss, ice sheet melting, ice shelf collapse, sea level rise, the vulnerable West Antarctic Ice Sheet, thermal expansion and basal melting.
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
How do rising temperatures threaten Antarctica?
How does Antarctica contribute to sea level rise under climate change?
Questions from this subtopic
Each one with the model answer underneath.
- 1
What is the Southern Ocean and what defines its northern boundary?
Model answer
The Southern Ocean surrounds Antarctica and extends northward to the Antarctic Convergence, where cold Antarctic waters meet warmer sub-Antarctic waters.
- 2
Define the Antarctic Convergence.
Model answer
An oceanographic boundary where cold, northward-flowing Antarctic waters sink beneath warmer sub-Antarctic waters, creating a distinct biological and physical transition zone.
- 3
Why does the loss of sea ice around Antarctica amplify warming?
Model answer
Sea ice reflects most incoming solar radiation, so its loss exposes darker ocean that absorbs more heat, causing further warming.
- 4
Why does Antarctica qualify as a global common?
Model answer
No single nation has sovereignty over it, and it is governed by international agreement for peaceful and scientific purposes.
- 5
How do rising temperatures threaten Antarctica?
Model answer
Rising air and ocean temperatures drive ice sheet melting, ice shelf collapse, and contribute to global sea level rise.
- 6
What is the consequence of ice sheet melting in Antarctica?
Model answer
Melting ice sheets release freshwater into the ocean, contributing to global sea level rise.
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