3. Environmental Variation

Question 1

How is the earth divided?

Answer 1

Latitude (parallels E-W)
Longitude (meridians N-S)

Question 2

What are the 5 latitudinal divisions of the earth?

Answer 2

• Arctic circle (66° N)
• Tropic of Cancer (23° N)
• Equator (0°)
• Tropic of Capricorn (23° S)
• Antarctic circle (66° N)

Question 3

What degrees of longitude are the north and south poles at?

Answer 3

90° N & 90° S

Question 4

Define weather

Answer 4

The day-to-day state of our atmosphere

Question 5

Define climate

Answer 5

Long term averages of weather

Question 6

What is a solar angle of incidence?

Answer 6

The area solar energy can be dispersed over depending on the latitude of the area

•Equator ~90° solar angle, small surface area, distance between sun and earth is shorter

•Poles ~«90° solar angle, larger surface area, distance between sun and earth is longer

Question 7

What are the 3 kinds of climate cells?

Answer 7

• Hadley cell
• Ferrel cell
• Polar cell

Question 8

What latitudes do Hadley cells begin and end at?

Answer 8

0° & 30°

Question 9

What latitudes do Ferrel cells begin and end at?

Answer 9

30° & 60°

Question 10

What latitudes do polar cells begin and end at?

Answer 10

60° & 90°

Question 11

What causes Hadley cells?

Answer 11

Warm, moist air rising at the equator and condensing clouds at about 15 km up. These clouds cause the heavy precipitation in the tropical rainforests. The rising air creates areas of low pressure.

The air is then spreads towards the poles and cools until it decends at about 30° N/S. The air holds less moisture since it is cooler, so it is very dry. The air warms as it reaches the deserts beneath it. Some air returns towards the equator and collect moisture while some moves into the ferrel cells.

The descending air creates areas of high pressure, and helps push air forward in the cycle.

Question 12

What causes polar cells

Answer 12

Cold, dry air descends over the poles and spreads towards the equator while warming. It rises at around 60° N/S and returns towards the poles.

Question 13

What causes Ferrel cells?

Answer 13

The strong force from Hadley and polar cells, acting almost like a gear. Air ascends at around 60° N/S and descends at around 30° N/S

Question 14

What is the Coriolis effect?

Answer 14

The phenomenon that causes fluids and air to curve as they travel across earths surface, because areas under the equator are spinning faster around earths axis than areas at the poles, the momentum is conserved as air/fluid moves away from or towards the equator.

Question 15

What direction would a storm in the northern hemisphere spin?

Answer 15

counterclockwise

Question 16

What direction would a storm in the southern hemisphere spin?

Answer 16

clockwise

Question 17

What direction are winds in the northern hemisphere deflected?

Answer 17

To the right of their direction of travel

Question 18

What direction are winds in the southern hemisphere deflected?

Answer 18

To the left of their direction of travel

Question 19

What are winds just north of the equator called?

Answer 19

Northeast tradewinds

Question 20

What are winds just south of the equator called?

Answer 20

Southeast tradewinds

Question 21

What are the winds beneath Ferrel cells called?

Answer 21

Westerlies

Question 22

What are the winds beneath polar cells called?

Answer 22

Polar easterlies

Question 23

What is a rain shadow?

Answer 23

The phenomenon of relatively less rain falling on the leeward side of a mountain due to the mountain deflecting winds upards on the windward side. The rising air on the windward side cools without advancing poleward and condenses clouds while dry air advances over the mountain.

Results in rainy conditions on the windward side of a mountain and dry conditions on the leeward side

Question 24

What are gyres?

Answer 24

Horizontally circulating, major water currents in the oceans

Systems of currents spanning across oceans between major land masses

Question 25

What are the driving forces is gyres?

Answer 25

Winds, the coriolis effect, and position/distance from land masses