Arctic Cordillera
By: John Li and Raymond Hao
Map of Arctic Cordillera
Very cold in the
north of this
region
Due to the lack
of pollution and
the fact that
there are no
cars due to
weather, this
area has very
clean air
The weather is much
warmer in the south, which
allow some plants to grow
There are many ice
caps and mountain
peaks in this region
Oil Mines –
Produces oil
and gas and
some
hydroelectricity
Physical Characteristics
Landform
• Soaring peaks and desolate valleys (lifeless and inhabited)
• Ice caps with glaciers and covered with Precambrian rock
and valley glaciers (glaciers originating from top of
mountains)
• A high peak for many mountains in this area, the highest at
2000 m
• Sedimentary rocks and glacier erratics (rock that is not part
of this area dropped off by glaciers) also cover much of the
region
• Ice fields and nunataks (isolated piece of rock on
mountains) are common
Physical Characteristics
Vegetation
• Few plants can grow in such harsh conditions
• ¾ of the land is bare rock
• Plants that do grow are covered in insulating
mats
• Low amounts of precipitation and sudden
freezes also do not help plants thrive
Physical Characteristics
Climate
• Cool and short summers that can range from -2°C
- 6°C
• Long, cold winters of an average temperature of
about -35°C
• Up in the north, the precipitation is about 200
mm, while in Labrador, it can range up to 600 mm
• Harsh winters in the north, more humid in the
south
Physical Characteristics
Soil
• Significant lack of soil materials
• Rocks and ice cover much of the ground
• Glaciers freeze soil deep into the ground
• No minerals in soil due to permafrost
• Slow soil formation and the remaining is
sucked away by ice
Human Activities
• The main human activities of the arctic cordillera are
hunting, fishing and trapping
• Due to the cold weather of this area (winter is -35
degrees and summer is about -2 degrees), it is
impossible for agriculture (farming and cultivation of
crops to provide food and other products) and crops to
grow
• Hunting can take away an abundance of animals in the
food chain which affects the prey and predators of that
animal
• Fishing can remove an abundance of fish causing some
types of fishes to become extinct and less biodiversity
Human Activities Continued
• A positive impact is the fact that in the arctic,
there are no car uses or trains
• This does not create added pollution in the
environment like Toronto would
• Oil and gas production is surprisingly high in
this region with only 1000 people, mainly Inuit
people (a member of a indigneous people)
that live here
• Tourism is also very common
Positive, Negative Effects
Positive
• Since this area is so sparsely populated, the Inuit people who live
there have to depend on themselves to survive
• This gives the inhabitants a high sense of independence and selfesteem
• This also preserves their lifestyle and traditions as there are no one
other than the Inuits that live in this region
Negative
• Since 75% of the Arctic Cordillera is covered by permafrost and
rock, it is very hard for plants to grow
• The temperature is also very cold (up to 5°C in July) and there is
limited moisture in this area
• Soil is non-existent since the temperature is so cold
Interesting Facts
• Eureka, Canada has an average temperature of -19.7°C
and the average temperature in February is -38°C
• After being pressed down by the glaciers in the last ice
age, the landscape is rising at an approximate speed of
30cm/century
• Animals such as the Polar Bear and Narwhal Whale can
survive the harsh temperatures of this ecozone
• There are three National Parks: Quttinirpaaq (Inuktitut
for “Top of the World”), Sirmilik meaning “Place of
Glaciers”, and Auyuittuq meaning “The Land that
Never Melts”
Geographic Issue
• Due to the terrible weather and living
conditions up the north, there are few living
residents
• However, over the last couple of years and
generations, the weather has become warmer
• Global warming
• Glaciers are melting in the arctic
• Ice splits apart, strands animals
Bibliography
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Arctic Cordillera. (n.d.). Arctic Cordillera. Retrieved April 2, 2014, from
http://www.arctic.uoguelph.ca/cpe/environments/land/a_cordillera/a_cordillera.htm
Arctic Cordillera Ecozone. (n.d.).prezi.com. Retrieved April 2, 2014, from
http://prezi.com/v9ipnfqlif0i/arctic-cordillera-ecozone/
Arctic Cordillera Ecozone. (n.d.). Arctic Cordillera Ecozone. Retrieved April 2, 2014, from
http://ecozones.ca/english/zone/ArcticCordillera/index.html
Arctic Cordillera ecoregion (CEC). (n.d.).Arctic Cordillera ecoregion (CEC). Retrieved April
2, 2014, from http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/150189/
Canadian Biodiversity: Ecozones: Arctic Cordillera. (n.d.). Canadian Biodiversity:
Ecozones: Arctic Cordillera. Retrieved April 2, 2014, from
http://canadianbiodiversity.mcgill.ca/english/ecozones/arcticcordillera/arcticcordillera.
htm
Ecozones of Canada. (n.d.). Ecozones of Canada. Retrieved April 2, 2014, from
http://www.oocities.org/geography_rocks/Ecozones.htm
Park Wardens - Arctic Cordillera. (n.d.).Park Wardens - Arctic Cordillera. Retrieved April
2, 2014, from http://www.parkwardens.com/zone1/1.html
Welcome to Adobe GoLive 5. (n.d.).Welcome to Adobe GoLive 5. Retrieved April 2,
2014, from http://www.sfu.ca/geog351fall02/gp2/WEB
Credits
• Thank you for listening to our presentation
• By: John Li and Raymond Hao