2.4-2.5 Weather and climate & vegetation

Question 1

Stevenson’s screen where to put it

Answer 1

a box to store instruments

Painted white to reflect sun with double lid for insulation
Slatted sides to let the air circulate, but slanted downwards to prevent light getting in
Legs 1m long to prevent heating from ground

On grass from better insulation
Flat land
Shelter from trees, in the open
Security (needs to be away from wild animals)

Question 2

what is weather

Answer 2

The mix of events that occur in our atmosphere, including changes in temp., rainfall and humidity at a specific place

Question 3

Rain Gauge

Answer 3

used to measure water
Funnel to collect the water.
Container to collect water
Emptied once every 24hrs
Rain is measured in millimetres.
Sunk into ground, but not level so splashes or surface water can’t get in

Question 4

Anemometer

Answer 4

used to measure wind speed
Three light rotating cups (mounted on a high pole) are blown around by the wind the revolutions are counted & converted into m/s, km/h

Question 5

Max-min thermometer

Answer 5

Records max. & min. temp. over 24hr period

Max thermometer contains mercury & min contains alcohol
As temp. rises, mercury expands & pushes up a metal index and when it cools, mercury contracts and index is left in place at highest temp

As temp. falls, alcohol contracts & pulls metal index with it; but as alcohol expands, it flows past index, leaving it at lowest temp
Both indexes read from bottom once every 24hrs

Question 6

Wet & dry bulb thermometer (hygrometer):

Answer 6

Used to calculate humidity of air

Dry bulb is a normal mercury thermometer and it measures actual air temperature
Wet bulb is same but bulb is covered with a fine cloth which is connected to a reservoir of water.
Water evaporates from the cloth & cools temperature so it reads a few degrees lower than air temp.
Both wet & dry bulb temperatures read

Question 7

barometer

Answer 7

:Measures air pressure

An aneroid barometer has a vacuum chamber
As air pressure rises & falls, the chamber contracts & expands
Levers conduct this movement to a spindle which moves pointer on the dial which records the air pressure in mmHg

Question 8

Wind vane

Answer 8

records wind direction

The fletching is blown by the wind so that the arrow head points into the wind.
Mounted on a high places (rooftops)
Make sure no trees are blocking

Question 9

adaptations of plants in rainforests

Answer 9

Lianas: use large trees as support to reach sunlight
Fan Palms: wide leaved plants that capture as much sunlight & rainfall as possible
Drip tip leaves: leaves that let rainfall travel over them & drip to the ground, causing less damage by excess water

Question 10

climate of rainforests

Answer 10

Are close to the equator so they have very similar climates all year around
Temp. is constant between 25-30°C
Rainfall all year around, monthly amounts vary slightly
Days start of warm & then temp. and humidity build up
Hot air rises causing low pressure

Question 11

wildlife in rainforests

Answer 11

Home to many mammals
Tigers in SE Asia
Jaguars in Central & South America
Leopards in Africa
Sloths
Home to birds, amphibians, reptiles & insects too
Animals adapt in differently to survive e.g. camouflage

Question 12

plant adaptation in the dessert

Answer 12

Seeds remain dormant
Waxy leaves to reduce transpiration
Thorns to protect from predators
Long roots to search for water
Thick stem to store water
Light colours to reflect sunlight

Question 13

animal adaptation in the dessert

Answer 13

Camel have humps to store water
Foxes have big ears to reduce heat
Shelter in underground to avoid heat
Only comes out at night to hunt
Can survive long times without food and water

Question 14

causes of deforestation

Answer 14

Population growth
Economic growth
Mining
Road building
Agriculture
Urbanization
Exploitation of land by TNCs

Question 15

impacts of deforestation on the local environment

Answer 15

Loss of vegetation
Melting ice
Causes floods
Threatens species with extinction
Loss of habitat
Soil erosion
Food chain disrupted

Question 16

impacts of deforestation on the global environment

Answer 16

Melting ice
Global warming/increase temperatures
Rising sea levels
Changes in climate patterns eg drought
Loss of species such as polar bears

Question 17

impacts of deforestation

Answer 17

Death of local tribes people
More carbon dioxide/ less oxygen
Reduction of materials available to build buildings
Reduction of food supply
Global warming/increase temperatures

Question 18

climate in desserts

Answer 18

Deserts are extremely dry (arid) places
Have less than 250mm of rainfall per year
Air is dry because:
Most of the moisture has precipitated over equator
Air travelling to desert travels over land, not the sea
No moisture leads to very few clouds, exposing them to high levels of incoming radiation from the sun

Hot because:
No water bodies nearby therefore no clouds
Lack of clouds allow high insolation during day;
Lack of clouds allows heat to escape at night;
Inland so no moderating influence of sea;
low specific heat capacity of sand and rock.

Question 19

Types of clouds, describing clouds

Answer 19

colour? whether you think it will remain?
Thick or thin?
How much do the clouds is there? (Cloud cover)

Question 20

Why is there more likely to be rain/clouds in the equator than the desert?

Answer 20

Large amounts of evaporation at Equator/less at deserts;
Large amounts of transpiration at Equator/less at deserts;
Deserts are more distant from water bodies
moist rising air that cools with altitude and forms convectional rainfall in the equator
Lots of wind carrying clouds and moisture in the equator

Question 21

Why does deserts have a high average temperature

Answer 21

Lack of clouds allow high insolation during day;
Lack of clouds allows heat to escape at night;
Inland so no moderating influence of sea;

Question 22

Layers within a rainforest

Answer 22

Emergent; that receive the most sunlight out of any vegetation in the rainforest.

Canopy; prevent most sunlight from reaching the forest floor.

Forest floor; some areas no light is received.

Question 23

The advantages of using digital weather recording instruments rather than traditional instruments.