Climate

Question 1

What is climate?

Answer 1

Overall pattern of weather, usually based on an average of 30 years

Question 2

What kind of climate does the UK have?

Answer 2

Temperate maritime

Question 3

What is latitude?

Answer 3

Temperatures drop the further an area is from the equator. Due to the curvature of the earth. In areas closer to the poles sunlight has a larger area of atmosphere to pass through as the sun is at a lower angle in the sky. As a result more energy is lost and temperatures are cooler

Question 4

What is altitude?

Answer 4

Temperatures rise with height above sea level. Therefore at the top of a hill it is much colder. As air rises over the hills it cools, condenses and precipitates so there is more rain in hilly areas

Question 5

What is pressure?

Answer 5

Low pressure means that air is rising. This means water vapour condenses to form clouds and precipitation.

Question 6

What is weather?

Answer 6

Day to day changes in the atmosphere

Question 7

How does wind affect climate?

Answer 7

Climate is effected by the prevailing wind. If the wind is blowing from the tropics it brings warm temperatures and vice versa. Over sea it brings wet weather and over land dry

Question 8

How does the distance from the sea affect climate?

Answer 8

Oceans heat up and cool down much slower than land so coastal locations tend to be cooler in summer than places inland with the same latitude and altitude.

Question 9

How do ocean currents affect climate?

Answer 9

Warm ocean currents heat up the air above

Question 10

What is a depression?

Answer 10

A depression is a low pressure weather system that affects the UK. It is created over the Atlantic where warm air from the tropics meets cold air from the poles. The warm air moves northwards and rises over the cold air

Question 11

What is an anticyclone?

Answer 11

Anticyclones are high pressure weather systems. This means that air is descending. As it descends it warms so there isn’t any condensation in the sky. This results in clear skies and no clouds.

Question 12

Differences between depressions and anticyclones?

Answer 12

Air pressure = D-high A-low
Wind speed = D-windy A-calm
Wind direction = D-anti-clockwise A- clockwise
Cloud cover = D-cloudy A- clear
Precipitation = D-heavy A- none
Fronts? = D- yes A- no

Question 13

What happened in Britain’s big freeze?

Answer 13

9000 school closed
16 airports closed
2010

Question 14

What is the greenhouse effect?

Answer 14

The blanketing effect of the atmosphere in retaining heat given off from the earths surface

Question 15

What are greenhouse gases?

Answer 15

Gases such as carbon dioxide and methane which are effective at absorbing hear given off from the earth

Question 16

What was the Kyoto protocol?

Answer 16

37 countries signed an agreement on the 11th December 1997 in Kyoto Japan.
Started in 2005
Because temperature have risen 0.7 degrees in the last 100 years, co2 concentration rising, glaciers melting and sea level rise.
The aim was to set targets for the countries to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases by 5.2%

Question 17

What are carbon credits?

Answer 17

A permit that allows the holder to emit one ton of carbon dioxide. Credits are awarded to countries or groups that have reduced their green house gases below their emission quota.

Question 18

What is a hurricane?

Answer 18

Intense low pressure weather system 
Cumulonimbus clouds in bands. 
Anti-clockwise wind movement. 
Rainfall. 
Strong wind speeds.

Question 19

Hurricane katrina

Answer 19

Took place in Mississippi, Florida, Louisiana, Alabama
23rd August 2005
Formed over Bahamas

Question 20

What are three environmental impacts of hurricane katrina?

Answer 20

Productive farm land ruined
80% of New Orleans submerged in water
The tidal surge caused significant coastal erosion in Mississippi

Question 21

What are three social impacts of hurricane katrina?

Answer 21

Mississippi- 200000 homes without electricity or water
Roads and railways submerged in water.
110 people reported to have drowned

Question 22

What is an economic impact of hurricane katrina?

Answer 22

Damage = $89 million

Question 23

What is a political impact of hurricane katrina?

Answer 23

Prisoners in Mississippi had to abandon their prison as it was flooded

Question 24

Two short term responses to hurricane katrina

Answer 24

American Red Cross provided food drink and shelter

Superdome opened for shelter

Question 25

Two long term responses to hurricane katrina

Answer 25

Reconstruction in affected areas

$100 bn to be spent on health care, unemployment, education and housing

Question 26

Cyclone nargis

Answer 26

Saturday 3 May 2008

In Myanmar and developed in the Bay of Bengal April 2008 and made landfall in southwest of Myanmar on 2nd may

Question 27

A short term response to cyclone nargis

Answer 27

Myanmar initially refused any assistance from foreign aid. Three weeks after it was allowed

Question 28

Long term response of cyclone nargis

Answer 28

Fewer than 20000 have been rebuilt and half a million survivors are still living in temporary shelters