Geographic Locations
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The geographic locations that are classified as the arctic tundra biome are: Northern Russia, Northern Canada, Iceland, the coast of Alaska, and the coast of Greenland.
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The word tundra comes from the Russian word for "treeless mountain tract". The the permafrost (permanent frozen subsoil) land of the tundra prevents the roots of plants from digging deep into the soil, which is one of the reasons why there are very little trees. The cold temperatures and wind also contribute to this. The tundra is also characterized by a lot of surface water. This is because when it rains which is rarely, it only soaks through the first layer of soil; leaving a saturated layer that makes pools on the surface. One fun fact about the tundra is that in the summer there is almost 24 hours of sunlight. The arctic tundra is also called "The land of the midnight sun", because the sun shines at midnight during the summer season. During winter there is almost 24 hours of darkness. Another fun fact would be that the tundra frequently displays a wonder of nature called aurora borealis (see below). Aurora borealis happens when electrically charged electrons collide with the Earth's atmosphere causing
a release of photons.
a release of photons.
Photos used under Creative Commons from Frode Ramone drelliott0net