VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP
BY: RACHAEL MARTIN & KRISTIN PULLIAM
GLE: 4.3.C6b: Predict how certain adaptations, such
as behavior, body structure, or coloration, may offer
a survival advantage to an organism in a particular
environment.
WHAT IS THE ARCTIC?
The Arctic consists of:
~Arctic Ocean~
AND PARTS OF:
~Alaska, United States~
~Canada~
~Greenland~
~Russia~
~Norway~
~Finland~
~Sweden~
~Iceland~
ARCTIC
OCEAN
•
•
•
•
Smallest of five oceans
Mostly north of the Arctic Circle
Total area of 14.056 million sq km
Climate: Polar Climate, persistent
cold with relatively narrow annual
temperature ranges
• endangered marine species
include walruses and whales;
thinning polar icepack
• Population: 722,718
• Area: Total: 663,268 sq mi
• Climate: Oceanic climate in
the south, and subarctic
oceanic climate in the north,
precipitation averages less
than 10 inches per year and
most of it is in the form of
snow
• Natural Resources: crude
petroleum, natural gas, coal,
gold, precious metals, zinc
and other mining, seafood
processing, timber and wood
products
• Current environmental issues:
coal ash debris from new coal
plants, offshore drilling,
exposure to heavy metals,
dropping of missiles in
wildlife area
• Language: English (84.7%)
RED GLACIER,
ALASKA
BANFF NATIONAL PARK,
CANADA
• Population: 33,390,141
• somewhat larger than the US
• Area: total: 9,984,670 sq km
• Climate: varies from temperate
in south to subarctic and arctic
in north
• Natural resources: iron ore,
nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead,
molybdenum, potash,
diamonds, silver, fish, timber,
wildlife, coal, petroleum,
natural gas, hydropower
• Current environmental issues:
air pollution and resulting acid
rain severely affecting lakes and
damaging forests; metal
smelting, coal-burning utilities,
and vehicle emissions impacting
on agricultural and forest
productivity
• Languages: English 59.3%,
French 23.2%
TASURMUIT
FJORD,
GREENLAND
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•
•
•
•
Population: 56,344
slightly more than three times the size of Texas
Area: total: 2,166,086 sq km
Climate: arctic to subarctic; cool summers, cold winters
Natural resources: coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, molybdenum, diamonds, gold, platinum,
niobium, tantalite, uranium, fish, seals, whales, hydropower, possible oil and gas
• Current Environmental Issues: protection of the arctic environment; preservation of the
Inuit traditional way of life, including whaling and seal hunting
• Languages: Greenlandic (East Inuit), Danish, English
• Population: 141,377,752
• approximately 1.8 times the size of the US
• Area: total: 17,075,200 sq km
• Climate: ranges from humid continental in much of European Russia; subarctic in Siberia to
tundra climate in the polar north; winters vary from cool along Black Sea coast to frigid in
Siberia; summers vary from warm in the steppes to cool along Arctic coast
• Natural resources: wide natural resource base including major deposits of oil, natural gas, coal,
and many strategic minerals, timber
• Current Environmental Issues: air pollution from heavy industry, deforestation; soil erosion; soil
contamination from improper application of agricultural chemicals, scattered areas of
sometimes intense radioactive contamination; groundwater contamination from toxic waste;
urban solid waste management
• Language: Russian
LAKE BAIKAL,
RUSSIA
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•
•
•
Population: 4,627,926
slightly larger than New Mexico
Area: total: 323,802 sq km
Climate: temperate along coast,
modified by North Atlantic
Current; colder interior with
increased precipitation and colder
summers; rainy year-round on
west coast
• Natural resources: petroleum,
natural gas, iron ore, copper, lead,
zinc, titanium, pyrites, nickel, fish,
timber, hydropower
• Current Environmental Issues:
water pollution; acid rain
damaging forests and adversely
affecting lakes, threatening fish
stocks; air pollution from vehicle
emissions
• Language: Bokmal Norwegian
GEIRANGERFJORD,
NORWAY
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•
•
•
•
Population: 5,238,460
slightly smaller than Montana
Total Area: 2,681 km
cold temperate; potentially subarctic
Natural Resources: timber, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, nickel, gold, silver,
limestone
• Current Environmental Issues: air pollution from manufacturing and power plants
contributing to acid rain; water pollution from industrial wastes, agricultural chemicals;
habitat loss threatens wildlife populations
• Speak primarily Finnish (92%)and Swedish (5.6%)
ALBERTINKATU,
FINLAND
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•
•
•
Population: 9,031,088
slightly larger than California
Area: total: 449,964 sq km
Climate: temperate in south
with cold, cloudy winters and
cool, partly cloudy summers;
subarctic in north
• Natural resources: iron ore,
copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver,
tungsten, uranium, arsenic,
feldspar, timber, hydropower
• Current Environmental
Issues: acid rain damage to
soils and lakes; pollution of
the North Sea and the Baltic
Sea
• Languages: Primarily
Swedish
BIG MOUNTAIN,
SWEDEN
• Population: 301,931
• slightly smaller than Kentucky
• Area: total: 103,000 sq km land: 100,250 sq km , water:
2,750 sq km
• Temperate climate: mild,
windy winters; damp, cool
summers
• Natural Resources: fish,
hydropower, geothermal
power, diatomite
• Current Environmental Issues:
water pollution from fertilizer
runoff; inadequate
wastewater treatment
• Languages: Icelandic, English,
Nordic languages, German
widely spoken
• Capital: Reykjavik
THÓRISJÖKULL GLACIER, ICELAND
Ready, Set, Go!!!!
Arctic Animals
Check out the Animals!!
Arctic Animals Quiz
Match the following animals with one of their characteristics or physical features.
A. Arctic Hare
B. Arctic Fox
C. Lemming
D. Dall Sheep
E. Snowy Owl
F. Narwhal
G. Caribou
H. Wolverine
I. Polar Bear
J. Muskox
K. Walrus
L. Arctic Tern
F
______
has 9 foot long tooth
______
has hollow hair
G
K
______
has skin like "armor"
H
______
his name means glutton
I
______
doesn't drink water
J
______
his horn is called a "boss"
D
______
has curling "keratin"
L
______
almost never lands
E
______
hunts both day and night
C
______
the only rodent that turns white
B
______
blue-gray or white in color
A
______
the babies are called leverets
Polar Bears
Blubber Mitten Activity
To find out what it's like to have a layer of blubber to keep warm, try this easy
Blubber Mitten experiment. You'll need:
Crisco (or other fat)
2 ziplock sandwich bags
A bowl of ice water with ice cubes
Procedure:
1. Fill one of the zipper bags about 1/3 full of shortening, then turn the remaining
zipper bag inside out. Place it carefully inside the bag with the shortening so that
you are able to zip the one bag to the other. This creates a "blubber mitten" for
you to put your hand in.
2. Put your bare hand in the bowl of cold water and see just how cold it is!
3. Next, place your hand in the "blubber mitten" and now place your mittened
hand in the ice water. How cold does the water seem with the "blubber mitten"
on? Do you think a nice layer of blubber would be great protection against cold?
Walrus, whales, and seals also have wonderful layers of blubber which help to keep
them warm.
Bye Bye Arctic Animals, For Now