Climate Flashcards
climate vs weather
tropical equatorial climate:
description
locations
tropical monsoon climate:
description
location
description
cool temperature climate:
description
location
What is weather?
Weather refers to the state of the atmosphere at a particular place and time, described using:
- Air temperature
- Cloud cover
- Precipitation
- Wind speed and direction
What is climate?
Climate is the average state of the atmosphere at a particular place over a long period, typically 25 years or more.
What are the three main climate types?
- Tropical Equatorial Climate (e.g., Singapore, Havana)
- Tropical Monsoon Climate (e.g., Chittagong, Kochi)
- Cool Temperate Climate (e.g., London, Paris)
What are climatic hazards?
Climatic hazards are extreme weather events such as heatwaves, droughts, floods, cyclones, and wildfires that impact natural and human systems.
How does Earth’s rotation affect temperature?
Earth rotates once every 24 hours:
- Daytime: The side facing the sun receives solar radiation and warms up.
- Nighttime: The side facing away cools down due to lack of solar radiation.
How does Earth’s revolution affect temperature?
Earth revolves around the sun and has a 23.5° axial tilt:
- June: Northern Hemisphere leans toward the sun → summer, Southern Hemisphere → winter
- December: Northern Hemisphere → winter, Southern Hemisphere → summer
- March & September: Both hemispheres experience moderate temperatures.
How does latitude affect temperature?
Higher latitude → smaller solar angle → solar radiation is spread over a larger area → lower temperatures.
Example: Beijing (40°N, avg. 12°C) vs. Singapore (1°N, avg. 29°C).
How does altitude affect temperature?
Higher altitude → lower air density → less ability to absorb and radiate heat → lower temperatures.
Example: Genting Highlands (1700m, avg. 21°C) vs. surrounding sea-level areas (32°C).
What is the maritime effect?
Coastal areas experience smaller annual temperature range due to the sea’s slow heating/cooling:
- Summer: Cooler than inland areas
- Winter: Warmer than inland areas
Example: Anchorage (coastal) vs. Fairbanks (inland), Alaska.
What is the continentality effect?
Inland areas experience larger annual temperature range as land heats up and cools quickly:
- Summer: Warmer than coastal areas
- Winter: Colder than coastal areas
How does the water cycle work?
- Evaporation from water bodies
- Transpiration from plants
- Condensation → cloud formation
- Precipitation (rain/snow)
- Infiltration into soil
- Surface runoff to water bodies
What affects precipitation levels?
- Latitude: Higher latitudes receive less solar radiation → less evaporation → less precipitation
- Altitude: Higher altitude → cooler temperatures → more precipitation (relief rain)
- Distance from sea: Coastal areas receive more moisture → higher precipitation
How is convectional rain formed?
- Sun heats land → warm air rises
- Air cools and condenses → clouds form
- Water droplets coalesce and fall as rain
Example: Frequent afternoon thunderstorms in Singapore.
How is relief rain formed?
- Moist air rises up a mountain’s windward side
- Air cools and condenses → rain falls on windward side
- Dry air descends on leeward side → little to no rain
Example: Sierra Nevada Mountains (USA) - lush windward forests, dry Death Valley on leeward side.
What causes winds?
Wind occurs due to pressure differences:
- High pressure: Cooler, denser air sinks
- Low pressure: Warmer, less dense air rises
- Air moves from high to low pressure, creating wind
How does the Coriolis effect influence wind direction?
Due to Earth’s rotation:
- Northern Hemisphere: Winds deflect right
- Southern Hemisphere: Winds deflect left
What causes the Northeast Monsoon?
- Winter: Cold air over Central Asia (high pressure)
- Warm air over Australia (low pressure)
- Winds move from Asia → Australia, deflected right (Northeast Monsoon)
Example: India, Singapore, Malaysia.
What causes the Southwest Monsoon?
- Summer: Warm air over Central Asia (low pressure)
- Cold air over Australia (high pressure)
- Winds move from Australia → Asia, deflected right (Southwest Monsoon)
What is the greenhouse effect?
A natural process where greenhouse gases trap heat:
1. Sun emits shortwave radiation
2. Earth’s surface absorbs it and re-emits longwave radiation
3. Greenhouse gases absorb and re-emit heat, warming the Earth
What is the enhanced greenhouse effect?
Due to human activities, more greenhouse gases trap excessive heat → global warming.
Causes:
- Burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas)
- Deforestation
- Agriculture (methane from livestock, nitrous oxide from fertilisers)
How does climate change impact precipitation?
- Wet regions get wetter: Warmer air holds more moisture → increased rainfall
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Dry regions get drier: Increased evaporation → reduced rainfall
Example: Sahel region (Africa) experiences worsening droughts.
How does climate change impact coral reefs?
- Warmer ocean temperatures → coral bleaching
- Bleached corals die → loss of marine biodiversity
Example: Great Barrier Reef lost two-thirds of corals due to bleaching in 2016-2017.
How does climate change impact food production?
- Reduced fish supply: Warmer oceans alter fish migration patterns
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Lower crop yields: Droughts, floods, and temperature changes damage crops
Example: Thailand’s 2020 drought (worst in 40 years) affected crop production.
How does climate change affect human health?
- Increase in vector-borne diseases (mosquitoes spread dengue in warmer areas)
- Heatwaves cause heat strokes
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Air pollution from wildfires causes respiratory diseases
Example: Bhutan had its first dengue epidemic in 2019 due to warming temperatures.
How does climate change affect human settlements?
- Sea-level rise floods coastal cities
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Extreme weather (cyclones, floods) displaces people
Example: 2020 flooding in Bangladesh destroyed 1.3 million homes.
