Climate Flashcards
El Nino
characterized by low pressure and storms in the eastern pacific and high pressure and drought in the western pacific, wet winters in the southeastern and southwestern United States, relatively warm winters in Canada and the northern United States, and fewer Atlantic Ocean hurricanes.
La Nina
characterized by high pressure and drought in the eastern pacific and low pressure and storms in the western pacific, cold winters in Canada, wetter winters in the Pacific Northwest, warmer, drier winters in the southeastern and southwestern United States, and more Atlantic Ocean hurricanes
Climate
the product of weather over time. Or a combination of temperature, moisture, precipitation, and winds for a given place expressed as means which describes the climate
Air pressure decreases..
with increasing altitude. Air becomes less dense, gets colder
Dry Adiabatic Rate
In dry air, temperature changes drastically
Moist Adiabatic rate
slower decrease in temperature as altitude increases, this is due to the water in the air that acts as a buffet due to its high specific heat
Between the Hadleys
warm air is rising and cooling, clouds form, and there is precipitation due to low pressure
Between Hadley and Ferrell cells
There is high pressure as cold air is sinking, weather is being suppressed, little rain (desert areas in this cell). Tropical warm airs spread to poles.
between Polar and Ferrell cells
Hot air rising and cold air headed to equator, low pressure, clouds are produced and rain
Alaska has 24 hrs of sun
As Northern Hemisphere faces the sun
What is the angle of the earth?
23.5
Northern Hemisphere has _____ as it tilts toward the sun
Summer
Southern Hemisphere has _____ as it tilts away from the sun
winter
Northern Hemisphere has ______ as it tilts away from the sun
Winter
Souther hemisphere has _____ as it tilts towards the sun.
Summer
When does Alaska has 24hrs of darkness?
In winter
Northern Hemisphere has _____ equinox as the equator faces ______ from the sun.
autumnal, faces
Southern Hemisphere has _____ equinox as the equator ____ the sun.
spring, faces
Northern hemisphere has _____ equinox as the equator ____ the sun.
Spring, faces
Southern Hemisphere has _____ equinox as the equator faces ____ from the sun
Autumnal, away
intertropical convergence zone (ICZ)
the region where the Tradewinds meet, located in the center of the Hadley Cells, it is a region of rising, unstable air, cloudiness, and rain
Where in the ITCZ in the summer?
On the hemisphere (Northern)
Where is the ITCZ in the autumn/spring?
close to the equator, right above it/right below it
Where is the ITCZ in the winter?
On the southern hemisphere (opposite one)
The Coriolis Force
the rotation of the Earth itself causes objects that are moving (air and water) to be deflected at higher latitudes
Objects in the Northern hemisphere are deflected in a ______ direction.
clockwise
Objects in the northern hemisphere are deflected in a _____ direction
Counterclockwise
Benjamin Franklin
studied currents while he was the first US postmaster. (First to map a current, the gulf stream)
Carl Ludwig Willdenow
He is considered one of the founders of phytogeography, the student of the geographic distribution of plants. Willdenow was also a mentor of Alexander von Humboldt one of the earliest and best known phytogeographers. He pointed out that similar climates support similar vegetation.
Humboldt
Friedrich Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt described vegetation in terms of outward appearance, correlated vegetation types with environmental characteristics and coined the term “plant association”
Formation of a rain shadow
A rain shadow forms when moist winds head towards a set of mountains and get forced upwards by them. The air gets cooled down and cool air can’t hold as much water, so the water is lost as precipitation. The water never makes it over the mountain; the other side of the mountain has arid, dry climate
Microclimate in Northwestern
North facing mountain is going to be more shaded than the south facing one therefore the plants on the north mountain are going to retain more water because the sun is not beating down on it. There is more lush on the north and the south is chaparral and arid. Ex: snow on north facing mountain.
Microclimate in Northwestern
North facing mountain is going to be more shaded than the south facing one therefore the plants on the north mountain are going to retain more water because the sun is not beating down on it. There is more lush on the north and the south is chaparral and arid. Ex: snow on north facing mountain.
Windbreak
Vegetation deflects wind and on the other side there is a “quiet zone” where animals and plants can thrive. The quiet zone experiences higher temperatures and a higher relative humidity. Does NOT create a microclimate, just reduces windspeed
