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Cards (8)

what are the 8 countries that surround the arctic 
iceland
norway
sweden
finland
russia
usa (alaska)
canada
greenland (denmark)
what is the arctic's temperature range
-25 to 10 degrees
what is the significance of the arctic's location
it is the furthest location from the sun. when it is more tilted away, radiation will be more scattered, therefore heat is less intense due to solar insulation
what is insolation 
the incoming solar energy that reaches the earth's atmosphere and surface
why is it so cold in polar regions 
low albedo therefore sun reflects off of the surface of snow
ocean currents bring cold water to polar regions, continuing to cool temperatures
in winter months it is tilted away from the sun, more scattering of radiation/sunlight and less intense heat
what is permafrost
a thick subsurface layer of soil that remains below freezing point throughout the year, occurring chiefly in polar regions
what happens to the active layer when temperature increases
it thaws
what happens when permafrost thaws
it releases carbon