Climate Flashcards
What are the six factors that affect climate?
- Earth in space
- Differential heating of land and water
- Ocean currents
- Air masses
- Relief barriers
- Global pressure belts
What should be included in a diagram of the earth’s orbit around the sun?
The diagram should include labels for the months and seasonal events (i.e. equinox, solstice).
How does the earth’s tilt affect climate?
As the earth tilts away from the sun, the height of the sun in the sky decreases, leading to a reduction in solar radiation that reaches the earth.
What is the angle of incidence?
The angle at which sunlight strikes the Earth’s surface.
How does a greater angle of incidence affect surface area?
It results in more surface area being covered by the same amount of radiation due to the curvature of the Earth.
How does a greater angle of incidence affect the atmosphere?
It means more atmosphere for sunlight to pass through, leading to more radiation being reflected back into space.
What is the effect of a greater angle of incidence on solar radiation reaching polar regions?
Less solar radiation reaches polar regions.
If the greenhouse effect didn’t exist, what would be the average global temperature?
-18 degrees C
What is the ‘solar radiation budget’?
The solar radiation budget demonstrates what happens to solar radiation when it reaches earth. The result is that our atmosphere is, in a sense, heated more from earth than from the sun.
How much of the suns solar radiation actually reaches earths surface?
About 50% of solar radiation reaches the earth’s surface.
What is meant by ‘differential heating’ of land and water bodies?
Land and water bodies store solar energy differently: land absorbs and loses heat quickly , while water bodies gain and lose heat slowly
What two general types of climate does differential heating create?
Differential heating creates continental and maritime climates.
What would a climate graph from a maritime climate look like?
A climate graph from a maritime climate would have a lower temperature curve - not too hot, not too cold; lots of precipitation.
What would a climate graph from a continental climate look like?
A climate graph from a continental climate would have a higher temperature curve - hot average temperature and less precipitation.
What do warm ocean currents do to land masses they pass by?
Warm ocean currents give humidity and precipitation to the region.
What do cold ocean currents do to land masses they pass by?
Cold ocean currents pull moisture out of coastal regions, making them dry.
What are the four ocean currents that influence the climate of North America?
1) Alaska (W)
2) California (C)
3) Labrador (C)
4) Gulf Stream (W)
What is an air mass?
An air mass is a large package of air that shares features such as moisture content, air pressure, and temperature.
Why are air masses critical to climate?
They can carry these air masses a long way from their source regions, pulling general weather systems with them.
What is a ‘front’ in meteorology?
A boundary zone that develops when two unlike air masses meet.
What determines the intensity of the storm at a front?
The degree of difference between the ‘clashing’ air masses.
What determines the length of the storm at a front?
The speeds of the air masses.
How does altitude affect climate?
When air warms, it ascends. As it rises, it expands due to less air above it, leading to cooler temperatures. This process is known as adiabatic cooling.
What happens to air masses when they fall after rising?
As air masses fall, particles collide, creating warmth. This process is known as adiabatic warming.
How do mountains influence climate?
Mountains can isolate climates by blocking air mass movement or modify air masses that cross relief barriers.
What is orographic precipitation?
Orographic precipitation describes how mountains cause air masses to condense, forming clouds and often precipitation.
What is the dry adiabatic lapse rate (DALR)?
The dry adiabatic lapse rate (DALR) expresses the rate at which an air mass will cool as elevation increases, which is 1 C / 100 m.
What is the wet adiabatic lapse rate (WALR)?
The wet adiabatic lapse rate (WALR) expresses the cooling rate of an air mass but accounts for the heat released during condensation, lowering the rate to 0.6 C / 100 m.
What does high pressure mean and what kind of weather is it associated with?
An area of high pressure means that a tall column of air is pressing down, resulting in cool, descending, clear air.
What does low pressure mean and what kind of weather is it associated with?
An area of low pressure means that less air is pressing down, leading to warm, moist, and ascending air.
