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geography higher > Book15 > Flashcards

Book15 Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the atmosphere?

A

A blanket of gases surrounding Earth, held in place by gravity.

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2
Q

What percentage of the atmosphere is nitrogen?

A

78.08%

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3
Q

What percentage of the atmosphere is oxygen?

A

20.95%

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4
Q

What percentage of the atmosphere is argon?

A

0.93%

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5
Q

What gas helps filter out harmful UV radiation?

A

Ozone (O3)

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6
Q

What are the two main greenhouse gases mentioned?

A

Water vapor and carbon dioxide

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7
Q

How much would Earth’s temperature fall without greenhouse gases?

A

Around 33°C

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8
Q

What are the five vertical zones of the atmosphere?

A

Troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere

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9
Q

What is the boundary between atmospheric zones called?

A

A ‘pause’

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10
Q

In which atmospheric layer does most weather occur?

A

Troposphere

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11
Q

How much does temperature drop per 1,000 meters in the troposphere?

A

6.4°C

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12
Q

What causes the temperature increase in the stratosphere?

A

Concentration of ozone absorbing UV radiation

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13
Q

What is the height of the tropopause at the equator?

A

Up to 16 km

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14
Q

What is the height of the tropopause at the poles?

A

About 8 km

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15
Q

What is the global heat budget?

A

The balance between energy received and radiated by Earth

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16
Q

What percentage of incoming solar radiation is reflected back to space?

A

32%

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17
Q

What is albedo?

A

The intensity of light reflected from an object

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18
Q

What percentage of incoming solar radiation reaches Earth’s surface?

A

55%

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19
Q

What percentage of incoming solar radiation is absorbed by Earth’s surface?

A

49%

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20
Q

What type of radiation does Earth emit?

A

Infrared (long-wave) radiation

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21
Q

What is terrestrial radiation?

A

Long-wave radiation emitted by Earth

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22
Q

What is the solar constant?

A

1366 joules per second per square meter

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23
Q

Between which latitudes is there an energy surplus?

A

35° North and 35° South

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24
Q

What is the latitudinal or global temperature gradient?

A

Temperature reduction from Tropics to polar regions

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25
Q

What percentage of thermal energy is redistributed by atmospheric circulation?

A

75%

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26
Q

What percentage of thermal energy is redistributed by ocean currents?

A

25%

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27
Q

What are the three cells in the three-cell model of atmospheric circulation?

A

Hadley, Polar, and Ferrel cells

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28
Q

What is the Coriolis effect?

A

Deflection of winds due to Earth’s rotation

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29
Q

In which direction are winds deflected in the northern hemisphere?

A

To the right

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30
Q

In which direction are winds deflected in the southern hemisphere?

A

To the left

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31
Q

What type of cell is the Hadley cell?

A

Thermally direct cell

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32
Q

What type of cell is the Polar cell?

A

Thermally direct cell

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33
Q

What type of cell is the Ferrel cell?

A

Thermally indirect cell

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34
Q

What are trade winds?

A

Surface winds blowing towards the equator in the Hadley cell

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35
Q

What is the ITCZ?

A

Intertropical Convergence Zone

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36
Q

What causes the ITCZ to move throughout the year?

A

The apparent movement of the Sun

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37
Q

What are Rossby waves?

A

Long, variable velocity waves in the upper troposphere

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38
Q

What causes Rossby waves?

A

Temperature variations, topographic forcing, and Coriolis effect

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39
Q

What are jet streams?

A

Narrow bands of fast-moving air in the upper atmosphere

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40
Q

At what height is the polar jet stream typically found?

A

7-12 km

41
Q

At what height is the subtropical jet stream typically found?

A

10-16 km

42
Q

What direction do jet streams generally travel?

A

West to east

43
Q

What is convergence in atmospheric circulation?

A

Air moving inwards at the surface

44
Q

What is divergence in atmospheric circulation?

A

Air spreading outwards at the surface

45
Q

What are the three main wind groups in the global surface winds model?

A

Trade winds, mid-latitude westerlies, and polar easterlies

46
Q

What wind blows from approximately 30° to 60° North and South?

A

Mid-latitude westerlies

47
Q

What wind blows from the Arctic and Antarctic?

A

Polar easterlies

48
Q

What is the thermal equator?

A

The belt of maximum surface heating

49
Q

What two air masses converge over Africa in the ITCZ?

A

Tropical Maritime and Tropical Continental

50
Q

What is the origin of the Tropical Maritime air mass over Africa?

A

Atlantic Ocean

51
Q

What is the humidity level of the Tropical Maritime air mass?

A

65-82%

52
Q

What is the origin of the Tropical Continental air mass over Africa?

A

Sahara Desert

53
Q

What is the humidity level of the Tropical Continental air mass?

A

10-18%

54
Q

What wind is associated with the Tropical Continental air mass in Africa?

A

Harmattan

55
Q

In which month is the ITCZ typically at its northernmost position in Africa?

A

July

56
Q

In which month is the ITCZ typically at its southernmost position in Africa?

A

January

57
Q

What type of season does the ITCZ bring when it moves over an area?

A

Wet season

58
Q

What type of season occurs when the ITCZ moves away from an area?

A

Dry season

59
Q

What is the Sahel?

A

A semi-arid region bordering the southern edge of the Sahara Desert

60
Q

How many vegetation types are estimated to be in Ghana’s rainforests?

A

Over 4,500

61
Q

How many plant species are estimated to be in the Sahara Desert?

A

About 500

62
Q

What is the dominant agricultural practice in the Sahel?

A

Nomadic herding

63
Q

What river provides water to the Sudan Savanna and Sahel in Mali?

A

Niger River

64
Q

What is the annual rainfall in northern Mali?

A

203 mm

65
Q

What is causing the Sahara Desert to move southward?

A

Poor land management and removal of trees

66
Q

What are ocean gyres?

A

Large circular loops of ocean currents

67
Q

In which direction do gyres rotate in the northern hemisphere?

A

Clockwise

68
Q

In which direction do gyres rotate in the southern hemisphere?

A

Anticlockwise

69
Q

What is the average speed of water at the extremities of a gyre?

A

About 5 km/h

70
Q

What is the Antarctic Circumpolar Current also known as?

A

West Wind Drift

71
Q

What is thermohaline circulation?

A

Deep ocean currents driven by temperature and salinity changes

72
Q

How much heat energy does thermohaline circulation move towards the poles?

A

10¹⁵ W

73
Q

How long does it take for thermohaline circulation to turn over all deep ocean water?

A

700 to 1,000 years

74
Q

What happens to water density when it is warmed?

A

It decreases

75
Q

What happens to water density when salt is added?

A

It increases

76
Q

What is Walker circulation?

A

A theoretical model of air movement in the tropical troposphere

77
Q

What is a Walker cell?

A

A self-contained circulation of air in the tropics

78
Q

What is El Niño?

A

A warming of the central and eastern tropical Pacific

79
Q

What happens to trade winds during El Niño?

A

They weaken or reverse direction

80
Q

What is La Niña?

A

A cooling in the eastern tropical Pacific

81
Q

What happens to trade winds during La Niña?

A

They strengthen

82
Q

How often do El Niño and La Niña events typically occur?

A

Every 2 to 7 years

83
Q

How long do El Niño and La Niña episodes usually last?

A

9 months to 2 years

84
Q

What happens to tropical cyclone activity in the North Atlantic during El Niño?

A

It is reduced

85
Q

What happens to the Indian monsoon during La Niña?

A

Rainfall increases

86
Q

What happens to fish stocks in the eastern Pacific during El Niño?

A

They decrease

87
Q

What happens to fish stocks in the eastern Pacific during La Niña?

A

They increase

88
Q

What type of weather does El Niño bring to the British Isles?

A

Mild, wet, and windy weather

89
Q

What happens to convection in the western Pacific during El Niño?

A

It reduces

90
Q

What happens to convection in the western Pacific during La Niña?

A

It increases

91
Q

What is the effect of El Niño on the Sahel region of Africa?

A

It correlates with droughts

92
Q

What happens to precipitation in Peru during El Niño?

A

It increases, often causing floods

93
Q

What happens to precipitation in Peru during La Niña?

A

It decreases https://chatgpt.com

94
Q

What is the effect of La Niña on tropical storms in Australia?

A

It increases their number and severity

95
Q

What happens to upwelling of nutrients in the eastern Pacific during El Niño?

A

It is reduced

96
Q

What happens to upwelling of nutrients in the eastern Pacific during La Niña?

A

It increases

97
Q
A
98
Q
A
98
Q
A

geography higher (1 decks)

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