Chapter 14.1-14.2

Question 1

What is the climate?

Answer 1

The long term average of weather conditions

Question 2

What is the difference between climate and weather?

Answer 2

Climate is long term, weather is short term atmospheric conditions

Question 3

What are the four factors that affect climate?

Answer 3

Latitude
Equator
Poles
Mid-Latitudes

Question 4

What is latitude?

Answer 4

Degrees north and south of equator

Question 5

How does latitude affect climate?

Answer 5

Higher the latitude, the less sunlight

Question 6

Where on Earth receives the most direct sunlight and how does this affect climate?

Answer 6

The Equator, and it makes the climate very hot

Question 7

Where on Earth receives the least direct sunlight and how does this affect climate?

Answer 7

The poles, and it makes the climate very cold

Question 8

How does altitude affect climate?

Answer 8

The higher the altitude, the colder the temperature

Question 9

What is altitude?

Answer 9

Elevation above sea level

Question 10

What is the windward side of a mountain?

Answer 10

The side of the mountain that faces the prevailing winds. (Characterized by thick vegetation.)

Question 11

Describe the weather on the windward side of a mountain and why this occurs.

Answer 11

On the windward side of the mountain, there is a lot of precipitation, this is because the wind takes up precipitation, thus making the windward side characterized by thick vegetation.

Question 12

What is the leeward side on a mountain?

Answer 12

The leeward side of a mountain faces away from the prevailing winds, and has very dry land, for this is because of the lack of precipitation.

Question 13

Describe the weather on the leeward side of a mountain.

Answer 13

It has little to no precipitation, and is very dry.

Question 14

What is a rain shadow?

Answer 14

Area of low rainfall on the downwind slope of a mountain.

Question 15

What is specific heat?

Answer 15

Amount of heat required to raise 1 kg of material by 1 degree celsius.

Question 16

Compare the specific heat of land and water.

Answer 16

Land has low specific heat, and water has high specific heat.

Question 17

How do land and water heat and cool relative to one another?

Answer 17

Land heats and cools quickly, and water heats and cools slowly.

Question 18

Compare the climate of coastal areas to that of mid-continents.

Answer 18

High specific heat of water results in consistent climates along the coast.

Question 19

How do ocean currents affect the climate?

Answer 19

They warm and cool air above them

Question 20

What is the Koppen Climate Classification System?

Answer 20

A system that classified climate according to temperature, precipitation, and native vegetation

Question 21

What is native vegetation?

Answer 21

Plant unique to a climate

Question 22

Table (Not done)

Question 23

What is a microclimate?

Answer 23

A localized climate that is different than a climate of a larger area surrounding it

Question 24

What is an urban heat island?

Answer 24

A city that is warmer than a surrounding countryside

Question 25

Identify three examples of microclimates.

Answer 25

Soil, wind, precipitation

Question 26

Identify three ways that climate affects living organisms.

Answer 26

Organisms adapt to their environment (Fur, camouflage) Humans grow crops based on climate (Oranges grown in florida) Humans design homes based on Climate

Question 27

What is the cause of long-term climate change?

Answer 27

The Solar energy the Earth receives

Question 28

What are ice ages?

Answer 28

Cold periods of time lasting millions of years when glaciers cover much of the earth

Question 29

What are Interglacial periods?

Answer 29

Warm periods that occur during the ice ages

Question 30

What is the Holocene Epoch?

Answer 30

The current interglacial period

Question 31

Identify four causes of long-term climate change?

Answer 31

Change in shape of earth's Orbit Change in angle of earth's tilt Movement of continents over time Changes in Ocean Currents

Question 32

How often does the shape of the Earth’s orbit change?

Answer 32

Changes every 100,000 years

Question 33

What is the cause of seasons?

Answer 33

By the tilt of Earth's axis

Question 34

How can it be determined which hemisphere is experiencing summer?

Answer 34

When the hemisphere is tilted towards the sun, and days are longer, and nights are shorter, and temperatures increase

Question 35

When the Northern Hemisphere is experiencing summer, what is happening in the Southern Hemisphere?

Answer 35

It experiences the opposite season (winter)

Question 36

Why does summer occur?

Answer 36

Because the earth's axis tilts

Question 37

How can it be determined which hemisphere is experiencing winter?

Answer 37

When the hemisphere is tilted away from the sun

Question 38

When the Northern Hemisphere is experiencing winter, what is happening in the Southern Hemisphere?

Answer 38

The southern hemisphere is experiencing summer

Question 39

Why does winter occur?

Answer 39

Because the earth's axis tilt

Question 40

What are solstices?

Answer 40

The longest and shortest days of the year

Question 41

What are equinoxes?

Answer 41

Equal daylight and darkness

Question 42

What is El Nino?

Answer 42

The combined ocean and atmospheric cycle that results in weakened wind trades

Question 45

Where does El Nino occur?

Answer 45

In the Pacific ocean every 3 - 8 years

Question 46

What is upwelling?

Answer 46

When cold water rises to the surface

Question 47

How does El Nino affect the climate of South America?

Answer 47

It prevents upwelling on the coast of South America

Question 48

What is a monsoon?

Answer 48

A wind circulation pattern that changes with seasons

Question 49

Where do monsoons occur?

Answer 49

India and Southern Asia

Question 50

What is a drought?

Answer 50

A period with below average precipitation

Question 51

What is a heat wave?

Answer 51

Large hot air masses that remain in one place for weeks or months

Question 52

What is a cold wave?

Answer 52

Long periods of unusually low temperatures

Question 53

What is the cause of a cold wave?

Answer 53

They are due to large stagnant polar air masses

Question 54

Polar climate has what temperature and precipitation?

Answer 54

Cold year round, little precipitation

Question 55

Continental climate has what temperature and precipitation?

Answer 55

Warm summers, cold winters, moderate precipitation

Question 56

Dry climate has what temperature and precipitation?

Answer 56

Hot summers, cool winters, low precipitation

Question 57

Tropical climate has what temperature and precipitation?

Answer 57

Warm year round, high precipitation

Question 58

Mild climate has what temperature and precipitation?

Answer 58

Warm summers, mild winters, and High humidity and precipitation