17.3 Flashcards
What is temperature in relation to weather and climate?
Temperature is one of the key components of weather and climate.
What do weather stations measure?
Weather stations measure temperature and other components of the atmosphere.
How do weather stations protect their instruments?
They provide shelter for instruments, protecting them from sunlight while allowing free flow of air.
How does the angle of the sun affect temperature?
The sun hits the earth most directly at the equator, making it warmer, while at the poles it hits at a smaller angle, making it colder.
What is the effect of land and water on temperature?
Land heats up faster and to a higher temperature than water, and cools faster to lower temperatures.
How do the northern and southern hemispheres compare in terms of temperature variation?
The northern hemisphere has more continents and less oceans, leading to greater temperature variations compared to the southern hemisphere.
What is the significance of geographic position in temperature control?
Geographic position, such as windward or leeward coastal position, influences temperature.
What is a prevailing wind?
Prevailing wind is the most common wind direction a location receives.
What characterizes a windward coastal area?
A windward coastal area has winds blown in from the ocean, resulting in cool summers and mild winters.
What characterizes a leeward coastal area?
A leeward coastal area has winds blowing from land toward the ocean, leading to hot summers and colder winters.
How do mountains affect coastal influence?
Mountains can act as a barrier, cutting off coastal influence.
What is the relationship between altitude and temperature?
Lower altitude has a higher temperature, while higher altitude has a lower temperature.
What is albedo?
Albedo is the fraction of total radiation that is reflected by any surface.
How do clouds affect temperatures during the day?
Clouds have high albedo and reflect a lot of sunlight, leading to lower temperatures at low atmosphere.
How do clouds affect temperatures at night?
Clouds reflect heat from Earth’s surface, absorbing and reradiating some heat back to Earth, which prevents temperatures from dropping as much.
What is an isotherm?
Isotherms are lines on a map that connect points of the same temperature.
How are temperatures adjusted on isotherm maps?
All temperatures are reduced to sea level to exclude the altitude effect.
What temperature distribution pattern is observed with latitude?
Temperatures are warmer near the equator and cooler near the poles, with isotherms running mostly east to west.
How do ocean currents affect coastal temperatures?
Ocean currents result in warmer east coasts and cooler west coasts.
