Climate and weather Flashcards
What are the 4 Stages of a mid/latitude Cycone
- Initial
- Developing
- Matured
- Occulted
What is the effect of Mid- Latitude Cyclones on South Africa?
Cold fronts -cooler temperatures -And increase in the water table - Rainfall Warm fronts -warmer temperatures -more pressure -berg winds - snow
What are the Characteristics of a mid Latitude Cyclones?
Cold Front:
Where do mid - Latitude cyclones Occur?
- polar front
- 60 degrees North and South
- where warm air meets cold air
- it can cover up to 1700
- in SA they happen in winter
- they travel west to east
Other Names of a Tropical Cycolne?
Hurricanes(USA)
Typhones
Cyclones
What are the stages of a tropical Cyclone?
Initial
-where convergence of the air towards low pressures take place
Developing
- when the pressure starts to drop
- tropical storms appear
- an increase in density
Mature
- fully developed
- max intensity
- they eye has formed
- high speeds
- pressure drops
- Heavy rain
Decaying
-dissipation happens
What is the effect of Tropical Cyclones on SA?
Change in temperature and pressure
Heavy rains
Risk of flooding
Areas of where Tropical Cyclones Occur
Over a Tropical ocean/ warm ocean
Where it is +- 27 degrees
5 and 20 degrees N & S of equator
What is the effect of the pressure Belt in the summer?
Shift in ITCZ SOUTH OF THE equator
What is the effect of the pressure Belt in the winter?
Check book
The inversion Layer in the summer
NB DIAGRAMS!
Hot air rises
The inversion layer is about the platue
Creates more rain
The inversion Layer in the winter
NB - DIAGRAMS
KH over he interior
He later is below the plateau
Dry weather
Line Thunderstorms
NB - DIAGRAMS
Impact:
Dry warm conditions
Veld fires
Valley Climates
What is a Microclimate?
The climate of a small or local area and is studied in the context of coastal valley and urban climates
What are bergs winds?
a hot dry northerly wind blowing from the interior to coastal districts.
Why do beg winds happen?
Due to stable air being forced to descend from the escarpment
Air heating up adiabatically and becomes dryer as temperatures rise
There are strong and gusty winds
What is Radiation fog?
The happens at night if the sky is clear and the ground surface cools by radiation loss
What is smog?
This is thick ground level fog caused when water droplet become polluted with chemicals and gases found in the atmosphere
What are Anabatic winds?
This is when wind travels up the valley during the day
Hot air is rising due to it being less dense
With gentle winds
Has valley Winds
NB - diagram
What are Katabatibc winds?
These are winds that happen at night due to the cooling of the earth
Air in sinking down a valley because cold air is more dense
There is frost pocket that is collected at the bottoms of the valley only if it it below 0 degrees
Mountain winds is linked to this
NB - diagram
