Extreme Environments

Extreme Environments

You should use this PowerPoint in conjunction with your exercise book

to help you revise.

You need to know…• Definition of an extreme environment, types and examples• Cold environments

– Sami people (way of life and how they have adapted to living there)– Antarctica (adaptations to living there)

• Hot environments – where they are found and why?– adaptations to living there

• Wet environments– monsoon: What is it? Where gets it? What are the impacts? How do they

cope with it?• Dry environments

– climate – adaptations to living there

• How to read a climate graph

Cold environments: Sami people

• Sami people are found across the northern parts of Finland, Russia, Sweden and Norway.

• They have adapted their way of life to living in a cold environment.

Cold environments: Antarctica

• Many scientists spend months in Antarctica completing research projects.

• They have had to adapt living and working conditions to suit the cold environment.

Living & Working in Antarctica – British Antarctic Survey

Hot environments: where are they found?

Hot environments

• Hot environments are found near the Equator as this is where the sun’s energy is most concentrated.

So energy is less concentrated as the Earth’s surface is more curved and temperatures are cooler.

So energy is more concentrated as the Earth’s surface is flatter and temperatures are hotter.

Hot environments: adaptations

BBC Bitesize – adaptations

Adaptations

Plants

Buildings Animals

People

Plants

Wet environments: monsoon

• A monsoon is a rainy season in south-east Asia. The winds blow from the south-west and bring heavy rain with them.

Animation

Wet environments: monsoon

• What are the impacts of a monsoon?– Bangladesh and the positive impacts of a monsoo

nWhen describing impacts don’t forget to develop the knock-on effects e.g. floods > schools are closed > education suffers.

• How do people cope with the monsoon rains?– Adapting homes in Bangladesh

Dry environments: desert

• Deserts have very little rainfall but can be either hot or cold.

How to read a climate graph