Climate Flashcards
Why is climate important?
It can be used to determine where a species is and how abundant it will be.
What causes variation in precipitation levels? (4 reasons)
Topography
Solar radiation
Air currents
Wind patterns
Why does ecology have no laws?
Environment is too unpredictable and variable
Nothing stays constant long enough to have laws without exceptions
Why are species not evenly distributed across the globe? (6 reasons)
The earth is round, which affects the path of solar radiation Wind patterns pH Temperature Salinity Water
Why does most sunlight hit the equator?
Shortest angle to the sun
As a result, less light is reflected or absorbed by the atmosphere than at the poles
Why is there greater temperature variation in the northern hemisphere?
There is more land in the north, which doesn’t hold as much heat as water
How does water temperature change when the season changes?
In winter: cold water on top, vertical stratification
In spring: temperature uniform from natural mixing events, no stratification
In summer: warm water on top, vertical stratification
In fall: temperature uniform from natural mixing events, no stratification
What is the effect of elevation on air temperature and atmospheric pressure?
As elevation increases, air temperature and atmospheric pressure decrease
Cooler air holds less moisture
How does precipitation vary with latitude?
Precipitation decreases as latitude increases
High near equator
Variation is from topography, wind, ocean currents
What is the coriolis effect?
Winds are deflected clockwise in the northern hemisphere and are deflected counter-clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.
Reason: the earth is spinning
How do mountains influence precipitation? What is this kind of precipitation called?
Moisture rich air is deflected upwards and cools, which causes the moisture to fall on the west side of the mountains. The now dry air moves over the eastern slopes and creates an arid region
Called: orographic precipitation
What do climate diagrams show?
Month on horizontal axis
Temperature on left y-axis
Precipitation on right y-axis
Vertical axises are lined up so 10 Celsius = 20 mm
What are microclimates and how are they created?
A specific habitat where the climate is different from the general climate of that area
Created by topography, vegetative cover, exposure to environmental conditions, localized nutrients, water availability, altitude, angle of solar radiation
How are seasons created? (3 reasons)
Tilt of the earth (23.5 degrees)
The earth is round
The earth is moving around the sun
