Chapter Three - Test One Flashcards
In order to examine the distribution of temp. on maps, we use:
Isotherms (Line of equal temperature) - lines indicating equal (iso) temperature (therms)
Latitude (which determines the amount of solar radiation received) is the major controller of temperature (as seen in Figure 2.9). There are however other controls:
- Differential heating of land and water
- Ocean currents
- Altitude
- Geographic Position
- Cloud Cover
Land surfaces heat more rapidly and to a higher temperature (daytime) and cool more rapidly and to a lower temp. (Night time) than do water surfaces (Fig. 3.3), because:
1) Water is mobile, land is not
2) Water is transparent, land is not
3) The Specific Heat [def: as the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of a substance 1ºC] of water is 3 times greater that the specific heat of land
Land heats up __ times as much as water for a given amount of solar radiation striking the surface
3
Oceans act as regulators of temperature:
keeping coastal areas:
- Cooler during the day [summer], warmer during the night [winter] when compared to mid-continent locations.
Ocean Currents
Greatly influence temps. because of their ability to transport warm water towards the poles and cold water towards the equator
The Gulf Stream, with temp. between 75-85º keeps:
The Atlantic Coast States warmer in winter
The California Current, with temp. between 45o–55º keeps:
The Pacific Coast States cool in summer
Temperature generally decreases wrt
height in the troposphere; therefore…
Higher elevations tend to be colder
A location’s proximity to certain geographic features can also control temperatures:
Geographic Position
- Windward/leeward coast
Clouds, because they limit both incoming solar (reducing afternoon maxima) and outgoing terrestrial (reducing early morning minima):
- Reduce the amount of temperature variability
Greatest variability in the world is
Siberia
Isotherms indicate a decrease in temperature toward the ____
- Coldest and hottest locations found over \_\_\_\_ - Tropical latitudes experience very little annual \_\_\_\_ - Mid and high-latitude, continental areas experience very \_\_\_\_ annual variation - N. Hem. Experiences larger annual \_\_\_\_ than S. Hem
poles; land; variation; large; variation
On typical days:
After sunrise: solar radiation heats the earth’s surface –
After sunset: both the surface and the atmosphere lose heat (cool) by emitting long λ radiation thru a process called:
Which warms the first few inches of the air through conduction leading to convection and hence: Warming of the atmosphere, Additional heating occurs as the atmosphere captures Earth’s long λ radiation
Radiational cooling
Although incoming solar radiation is most intense at noon, the
maximum temperatures tend to occur considerably later:
Lag of the Maximum
Usually between 3-6 pm (fig 3.20)
This lag is due to the fact that:
- Incoming solar radiation still exceeds outgoing terrestrial radiation for several hours after noon
