Climate, Weather, Atmosphere

Question 1

What is weather?

Answer 1

The day to day changes in the state of the atmosphere including daily changes in temperature, rainfall and wind speed

Question 2

What is climate?

Answer 2

The average weather conditions in a particular area or region over a long period of time (usually average over 30 years)

Question 3

How do we measure weather?

Answer 3

• temperature
• precipitation
• wind speed & direction
• cloud cover & visibility
• air pressure
• humidity
• sunshine

Question 4

What is air pressure?

Answer 4

The force exerted on the earths surface by the weight of the air above

Question 5

What is humidity?

Answer 5

how much water vapour is in the atmosphere

Question 6

What is precipitation?

Answer 6

Moisture that falls from the sky

Question 7

What is the name of the cycle for low pressure?

Answer 7

The system is called DEPRESSION

Question 8

When features occur in a Depression?

Answer 8

• strong winds
• rainfall
• cloudy skies
• unstable air
• changeable conditions
• passes quickly
• anti-clockwise direction

Question 9

What is the name of the cycle for High Pressure?

Answer 9

The system is called ANTI-CYCLONES

Question 10

What are the features of an anti-cyclone?

Answer 10

• clear skies
• summer/heatwaves
• winter/frosty
• very little rain
• gentle winds
• clockwise direction
• stable conditions

Question 11

What is the Hadley Cell?

Answer 11

• first cell
• starts at the equator (very hot)
• the warm air rises and creates a low-pressure zone
• air moves away from the equator and begins to cool and sinks back to earths surface
• creates a high pressure zone forming many of the worlds hot deserts.

Question 12

What is the Ferrel Cell?

Answer 12

• second cell
• air near the surface of the earth moves poleward from high to low pressure.
• as this warm air meets cold polar winds (around 60 degrees latitude)
• starts to rise above the colder air forming another layer of low pressure

Question 13

What is the Polar cell?

Answer 13

• the final cell
• located at the poles
• formed as cold, dense air sinks at the north and south poles, creating an area of higher pressure
• the cold air spreads out from the poles moving to lower latitudes
• as the air mixes with the warmer air at lower latitudes it begins to rise to around 60 degrees latitude

Question 14

High pressure brings ……… (good/bad) weather because the air is ………. (descending/ascending)

Answer 14

good, ascending

Question 15

Low pressure brings ……… (good/bad) weather because the air is ………. (descending/ascending)

Answer 15

bad, ascending