Chapter 14 Flashcards
what is climate
the long-term average weather conditions that occur in a particular region
what does climate depend on
temperature and precipitation
what effects climate
latitude, altitude, rain shadows, and bodies of water
why does latitude affect climate (ex: how would climate be different if you were near the equator, explain)
because the area near the equator receives more solar energy than areas closer to the poles. Therefore, regions near the equator have warmer climates, and climates become older as you move toward the poles.
how does altitude affect climate
as you increase altitude, the average temperature decreases
how do mountains affect climate
by being a barrier to preventing winds and rains
what is a rain shadow
an area of low rainfall because it is on the downwind slope of a mounatin
why does bodies of water affect climate
because bodies of water have different characteristics than the land that is near them
what is an example f bodies of water having different characteristics than the land that is near them
on a sunny day, the sand is much warmer than the water
are climates more stable along coasts or inland
coast
why is climate more stable along coasts than inland
because there is less of a temperature swing between the highs and lows
what is specific heat
the amount of thermal energy needed to raise the temp of 3kg of material to 1c
what is specific heat measured in
Joules
how many times greater is the specific heat of water than sand
6 times, it takes 6 times more energy to raise the temp of water to the same temp as sand
who invented a system for classifying the world’s climate
Wladimir Koppen
what factors does Koppen’s system use for classifying climate
temperature, precipitation, and native vegataion
how many different climate types are there in Koppen’s climate system
5
Where do polar climates affect
thundras, ice cap, highland
what is the weather like in a polar climate year-round
cold year
how much precipitation does a polar climate get
little precipitation
where do dry climates affect
arid and semiarid areas
what are summers and winters like in a dry climate
hot summers, cooler winters
how much precipitation do dry climates get
very low precipitation
where does tropical climate affect
tropical went (look in book if right) and tropical wet/dry
what kind of weather is in a tropical climate
warm year-round
how much precipitation does tropical climates get
high precipitaion
where does mild climate affect
meteradian, (look in book) humid subtropical, and marine west coast
what kind of summers and winters do mild climates bring
warm, humid summers, mild winters
what kind of precipitation do mild summers bring
high precipitation
what are microclimates
a small localized climate that is different from the climate of the larger area surrounding it
what can microclimates be caused by
by cities (concrete and asphalt) forests, hilltops, and bodies of water
what is (1) an example of organisms adapting to the climate that they live in
polar bears, they have hick fur and a layer of fat
what is (2) an example of organisms adapting to the climate that they live in
deciduous trees loose leaves during winter to prevent water loss in winter
what is the climate effect of humans
climate can dictate the crops you can grow and he buildings you can build
how are buildings built different in polar climates
buildings are built on stilts to prevent the building from melting the permafrost (soil is frozen year-round)
what do scientists use to learn about past climates
ice core samples, fossilized pollen, ocean sediment, growth rings of trees
what is an ice age
cold periods lasting from hundreds to millions of years when glaciers cover much of the earth
what are interglacials
warm periods that occur during or between ice ages
when did the most recent ice ages began
2 million years ago
when did the most recent ice age reach its peak
20,000 years ago
what part of the world was covered in ice during the most recent ice age
half of the northern hemisphere
how long ago did the Holocene epoch begin
10,000 years ago
what is the current interglacial period called
Holocene Epoch
did temperatures fluctuate during the holocene
yes
when were the warmest years during the holocene and where
950 - 1100 in Europe
when was the coldest years during the holocene
from 1250 - 1850
what is one causes of long-term climate cycle
the shape of the earths orbit
what does a climate cycle mean
how the climate changes over time
how does the shape of the earths orbit affect long-term climate cycle
the shape of earth’s orbit changes the amount of solar energy that reaches earth
what does elliptical mean
a shape
what shape does earth’s orbit look like
anywhere from circular to elliptical over 10,000 years
what happens if earths orbit becomes more circualr
the earth is further from the sun and the temperatures are colder
what are season caused by
by changes in the amount of solar energy at different latitudes at different time of the year
what do seasonal changes include
changes in temperature, hours of day and night
what is another factor that can cause seasons
changes in the tilt of earth’s axis
how is summer brought to the northern hemisphere
during June, the northern hemisphere is tilted towards the sun, so it receives more direct rays and more hours of daylight
how does the northern hemisphere have winter
during December, the northern hemisphere is tilted away from the sun so it receives fewer direct rays and fewer hours of daylight
how many days mark the start of each season
4 days
what day is the summer solstice on for the northern hempisphere
June 21st or 22nd
what is the day of the year called with the most daylight hours
summer solstice
for the northern hemisphere, what is the day called with the least amount of daylight
winter solstice
what day does the winter solstice start for the northern hempisphere
december 21st or 22nd
what is an equinox
days when neither the northern nor the southern hemisphere are pointed towards the sun
what is the spring equinox called
vernal equinox
what day does the spring equinox start on
march 21st or 22nd
what is the fall equinox called
autumnal equinox
what day does the fall equinox start on
september 21st or 22nd
what happens when trade winds near the equator blow from east to west
results in warm air pushing from south america to Australia
what happens to south america (SA) when warm warm air pushes from south america to Australia
permits upwell (rising) of cold ocean water along the south america coast
what happens when trade winds are weak
winds instead blow from Australia to south America- west to east
what do trade winds blowing from west to east prevent
the cold water from upwell (rising)
what are combined ocean and atmospheric cycle that results in weak trade winds across the pacific ocean called
el niño
how often does the el niño cycle occur
every 3-8 years
what does NAO stand for
north american oscillation
what is NAO
it is a weather cycle that changes the position of the jet stream, causing storms, in north america and Europe
what is another name for El nino
southern oscillation (Enso)
what is la nina
the cool phase of ENSO
how often do la ninas occur
every 3 to 5 years
how long does a la nina last
around a year
what is a monsoons
a wind circulation that changes with the seasons
what causes the wind in a monsoon
temperature differences between land and the ocean
where does a monsoon come in from in the summer
from the ocean
in the summer what kind of weather does a monsoon bring
large amounts of rain
during winter, where do monsoons blow in from
from the land to the ocean
what kind of weather does winter monsoons bring
dryer weather
go read the book now
go dookie!
what happens to the ocean during a la nina
the pacific ocean cools
how often does a complete ENSO cycle occur
every 3-8 years
what is a la nina
the cold phase an ENSO
what is an el nino
is the combined ocean and atmospheric cycle that results in weak trade winds
how does an el nino form
the high and low pressure reverses and the warm water goes back towards south america from australia
what creates the trade winds
the difference in air pressure across the pacific
how do trade winds normaly blow
east to west
how do weak trade winds blow
west to east
what is la nina
it is the cooler phase of el nino with cooler ocean temperatures in the pacific
have tempatures on earth been increasing or decreasing over the past 100 years
increasing
where has the greatest tempature increase been, what did it increase by
in the northern hemisphere by .5 degrees C
global warming
the term used to describe the rise in Earths average surface temperature
what is the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
is an international organization to study
climate change
what is most of global warming due to
humans
what are greenhouse gases
gases in the atmosphere that absorb Earths outgoing infrared radiation
what gases do greenhouse gases include
includes carbon dioxide, methane & and, water vapor
why couldnt humans live without greenhouse gases
greenhouse gases keep the earth at a suitable temperature for living
what has also increased because carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased
the average air tempature
what do fossil fuels include
coal, natural gas & oil products
what happens when coal, natural gas and oil products are burned
carbon dioxide goes into the air
what is deforestation
large scale cutting or burning of forests
why is deforestation bad
causes carbon dioxide to increase by 25%
when do trees use carbon dioxide
in photophinisis
what are some nateral sources to climate change
volcanic eruptions, forest fires, cellular respiration
what are Aerosols
tiny liquid or solid particles in the atmosphere that can reflect sunlight
can small aresosls or large aresosls reflect more sunlight
small
how can Aerosols decrease earth’s tempature
Aerosols relfect earths sunlight
what is the serious problem that the changing climate can present
some that can be predicted, and some
unknown
what can ENSO change
preciptaion patterns
what does increased water vapor cause
will cause heavy rain and storms in No. and So. America
- leads to flooding, mudslides
what happens to other parts of the world besides no. and s. america when water vapor increases
decreased rain in other areas - Asia, Africa & the Mediterranean
- can bring droughts
- leads to food & water shortages
what can melting glaciers and polar ice caps do the earth
can cause sea level rise
- disrupts ecosystems
- coastal flooding for the 1 billion living in those areas
what extreme weather conditions are becoming more common
heat waves, droughts, heavy rainfall
what can the thawing of frozen ground do to buildings
causes damage to structures built there
what is used to predict future climates
a set of complex equations (similar to the ones used to predict weather)
why are GCMs difficult to asses its acuracy
because it is predicting decades into the future
why do most GCMS predict in the future
as a result of greenhouse gases
what was the human populan in 2000
6 billion
what will the human population be in 2050
9 billion
what will increased population increase
greenhouse gases through deforestation and urban
development
what are some ways to reduce greenhouse gases
develop alternate sources of energy that release fewer greenhouse gases
- reduce automobile emissions ; ex: hybrid cars
- develop green buildings that are energy efficient; roofs have plantings
- conserving fuel & recycling
