chapter 4

Question 1

Difference in weather and climate?

Answer 1

Weather•State of atmosphere, given time, given place•Daily High, Low•Daily Precipitation

Climate•Averages•Extremes (records)

Question 2

On what day is the summer solstice, winter solstice, spring equinox and autumnal equinox? Where is the location of the 90°sun angle for each of those days?

Answer 2

Mar 21-Spring Equinox-90°sun angle is at the equator June 21-Summer Solstice-90°sun angle is at the Tropic of Cancer (23.5°N)Sept 23-Fall Equinox-90°sun angle is at the equator Dec 21-Winter Solstice-90°sun angle is at the Tropic of Capricorn (23.5°S)

Question 3

What is the tilt of the Earth? How does the tilt of Earth’s axis affect the seasons? How does the tilt of Earth’s axis affect the amount of daylight on Earth?

Answer 3

•We have seasons because the Earth is tilted on its axis.•Because the Earth is tilted, the sun angle varies throughout the year.•Currently, the Earth is tilted about 23.5°

Question 4

At what latitude is the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn located?

Answer 4

Cancer: 23.5 degrees north
Capricorn: 23.5 degrees souh

Question 5

What is the relationship between the tilt of the Earth and the location of the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn?

Answer 5

90 debree tilt angle and longest and shortest day of the year

Question 6

The solar altitude varies from 0 to _______ degrees.

Answer 6

0 to 90 degrees

Question 7

How many hours of daylight are there on March 21? (It is the same everywhere)

Answer 7

12 hours of daylight everywhere

Question 8

Define photic zone. How deep is it?

Answer 8

depth that sunlight penetrates in the ocean–Usually 100-200 m–Photosynthesis can only occur in the photic zone

Question 9

Describe the Greenhouse effect.

Answer 9

The sun emits short wavelength radiation that passes through the atmosphere. The Earth absorbs that radiation. The Earth then emits radiation having a longer wavelength. The longer wavelengths are absorbed by the greenhouse gases (CO2and CH4) in the atmosphere, thus warming the atmosphere.

Question 10

Heating Imbalances: Tropics vs High Latitudes

Answer 10

Incoming solar radiation strikes the tropics more directly than higher latitudes= more heat gained near the equator•More heat is lost near the poles
Poleward heat transport by-Ocean currents-Global Winds-Storm systems

Question 11

How does the Earth compensate for this differential heating?

Answer 11

global winds and ocean currents

Question 12

Describe the Coriolis Effect

Answer 12

Deflection to the right of the target in the Northern Hemisphere. Note: It does not matter which way (N or S, E or W) the intended target is located. Deflection is always to the right in the Northern Hemisphere
Deflection is to the left in the Southern Hemisphere.Figure 5.17 Think about this one: Say you are sitting on a Merry-Go-Round. The Merry-Go-Round is moving. You throw a ball to the person exactly across from you. Will they catch it? Why not?

Question 13

At which angle (90°or 45°) is the incoming solar radiation more intense?

Answer 13

90

Question 14

Which angle would produces higher air temperatures?

Answer 14

90°-because there is more sunlight over a given area.

Question 15

What is the relationship between sun angle and seasons?

Answer 15

If the sun angle did not change, we would not have seasons. Summer occurs when the sun angle is the greatest. Winter occurs when the sun angle is the lowest. Fall and Spring are in between.

Question 16

If the Earth were not tilted on its axis, would we have seasons? What would our weather be like?

Answer 16

If the was not tilted on its axis, there would not be seasons. Our weather would be like spring/fall temperatures year round.

Question 17

If the Earth were tilted on its axis at an angle of 40°what would happen to our summer temperatures

Answer 17

If the Earth’s tilt increased from 23.5°(today) to 40°, our sun angle in the summer would increase and our winter sun angle would decrease. Summers would be warmer and winters colder.

Question 18

If the Earth was not tilted on its axis, how many hours of daylight would we have each day?

Answer 18

If the Earth was not tilted on its axis, there would be 12 hours of daylight every day everywhere on Earth.

Question 19

How would the weather at this latitude affect ocean salinity?

Answer 19

Lots of rain would make salinity lower, but because it is so hot, there would be evaporation, which increases salinity. Net result is moderate salinity values.