Climate

Question 1

What is an Open System? How does it work?

Answer 1

Materials enter, get acted on, then exit the system
One way flow
Requires a constant input of materials

Question 2

What is a Biogeochemical Cycle?

Answer 2

The movement of chemical elements between the Earth and living organisms

Question 3

What is the difference between Abiotic and Biotic factors?

Answer 3

Abiotic:refers to the non-living environment (rocks, air, amount of sunlight, wind, humidity)
Biotic:refer to living organisms (is alive, was alive, will be alive, or produced by a living organism)

Question 4

What is a Closed System? How does it work?

Answer 4

Materials remain in the system, no loss or addition of materials, requires continual reuse and recycling

Question 5

How are climate and weather different?

Answer 5

Climate:long-term average of conditions in atmosphere, what we would expect
Weather:current state of the atmosphere, what is going on right now

Question 6

What role does the Sun play in determining climate?

Answer 6

Provides the energy to power climate

Question 7

Why does the Earth heat unevenly?

Answer 7

The Earth is curved

Question 8

How does the Angle of Incidence affect heating on the Earth?

Answer 8

The sun shines from one direction
Only 1/2 of the planet can ever be lit at one time
Some light is direct and some light is indirect

Question 9

Where is the angle of incidence the greatest, where is it the least?

Answer 9

Greatest:equator
Least:South and North Pole

Question 10

How much is the Earth’s axis tilted?

Answer 10

23.5 degrees

Question 11

How are seasons determined?

Answer 11

The tilt of the Earth and which way is tilted towards and away from the sun

Question 12

How does color affect the ability of a surface to absorb heat?

Answer 12

Dark color:heats up and cools down faster than light colors

Light color:doesn’t change temperature as fast as dark colors

Question 13

How does water compare to land in its ability to heat and cool?

Answer 13

Water warms and cools slower than air

The temperature affects the air temperature which affects the land

Question 14

How does the uneven heating of the Earth produce density currents and wind systems?

Answer 14

Uneven heating produces areas that are hot and areas that are cold
Cold air/water is more dense and creates areas of high pressure
Warm air/water is less dense and creates areas of low pressure
Air/water tends to move from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure

Question 15

What is the Coriolis Effect and how is it produced?

Answer 15

The deflection in the movement of large objects (air masses and ocean currents) over the Earth’s surface
Produced by the rotation of the Earth

Question 16

How do currents affect coastlines of continents?

Answer 16

East coast currents tend to be warm
West coast currents tend to be cold
The water temp of the current will cool/warm the air above it
That air moves over the land and cools/warms the land

Question 17

How does the Coriolis Effect affect global winds?

Answer 17

Coriolis Effect breaks the movement into 3 smaller circulations called wind systems

Question 18

What are the three main wind systems?

Answer 18

Prevailing Westerlies, Polar Easterlies, and Trade Winds

Question 19

Where is each found and which direction does each blow?

Answer 19

Prevailing Westerlies:found from 30-60 degrees (from SW to NE)
Polar Easterlies:found from 60 degrees-the poles (from NE to SW)
Trade Winds:found from 15-30 degrees (from NE to SW)

Question 20

What occurs at roughly 30 degrees latitude around the globe? Why?

Answer 20

Deserts, because the air is sinking and warming between wind systems.
Skies will clear because the air can hold more water

Question 21

What is a Rain Shadow? What causes it? What happens on the windward and leeward side of mountains?

Answer 21

The dry area on the leeward side of the mountain
The water on the windward side has all ready precipitated and there’s little to no water left on the leeward side
Windward:humid air gets forced up the mountain, air cools to dew point and precipitates
Leeward:air warms as it descends, dries and there is no precipitation

Question 22

How do large bodies of water affect local climates?

Answer 22

Water warms/cools slower than air
Water temp will warm/cool the air above it
The air moves over the land and will warm/cool the land

Question 23

What types of cycles are Energy and Matter here on Earth? Why is each the type it is?

Answer 23

Energy:open system-requires constant energy from sun and leaves as low quality heat
Matter:closed system-we recycle all of our matter

Question 24

What are the two main factors that describe climate?

Answer 24

1. Temperature

2. Precipitation

Question 25

How does the Coriolis Effect affect surface currents? How is their direction different and the same in each hemisphere?

Answer 25

Currents in the northern hemisphere rotate clockwise

Southern=counterclockwise

Question 26

Describe the oxygen cycle.

Answer 26

Photosynthesis creates oxygen
It’s used in aerobic respiration and comes out as carbon dioxide
Which is used for photosynthesis

Question 27

Describe the water cycle.

Answer 27

Water evaporates and comes out of plants in transpiration
Then condensation creates clouds
Then it precipitates
And goes to a water source in runoff
It starts over

Question 28

Describe the carbon cycle.

Answer 28

Carbon enters atmosphere as carbon dioxide from combustion and respiration
Absorbed by producers to make carbohydrates in photosynthesis
Animals feed on plants passing the carbon down the food chain and they exhale carbon dioxide
Dead organisms are eaten by decomposers and carbon is returned to atmosphere as carbon dioxide

Question 29

Describe the nitrogen cycle.

Answer 29

Nitrogen fixation-bacteria converts nitrogen into ammonia
Nitrification-ammonia is converted into nitrite
Assimilation-how plants and animals use nitrogen
Ammonification-converts nitrogen to ammonia and ammonia to nitrate and nitrate
Denitrification-converts ammonia into nitrogen gas