Climatology

Question 1

What is weather?

Answer 1

Weather refers to the atmospheric conditions at a particular place and at a particular time.

Question 2

What is climate?

Answer 2

Climate is the day to day weather conditions of a certain place over a long period of time. (20 years)

Question 3

What do we look at when studying the climate of an area?

Answer 3

We look at:

1. The average temperature.
2. The main winds that blow in the area.
3. The winds experienced (time of year) and which direction they blow.
4. The average rainfall, type of rainfall, which season most rainfall occurred.

Question 4

How is weather explained?

Answer 4

Warm weather, cloudy weather, rainy weather

Question 5

What is latitude?

Answer 5

It is the distance we are from the equator.

Question 6

Explain the distance of the sun and the equator.

Answer 6

The sun travels a greater distance therefore more heat energy is absorbed by the atmosphere. The heat of the sun is spread out widely and has to heat a larger area.

Question 7

What is direct insolation.

Equatorial region

Answer 7

Heating a small area, more concentrated heat.

Question 8

What is oblique insolation? (Polar region)

Answer 8

Heating a larger area, less concentrated heat.

Question 9

What is land breeze?

Answer 9

Breeze blowing towards the sea from the land after sunset.

Question 10

What is sea breeze?

Answer 10

Breeze blowing towards the land from the sea during the day.

Question 11

Explain wind

Answer 11

1. The horizontal movement of air.
2. Wind has speed and direction
3. It can be moderate, strong and gentle.
4. The direction of wind is told by the direction in which it is blowing
5. Wind speed is measured with an anemometer. 6. Wind direction is indicated with a wind vane or sock.

Question 12

Berg wind

Answer 12

Hot dry northerly wind blowing from the interior to coastal districts

Question 13

Polar wind

Answer 13

Begin near the North and South Poles

Question 14

Ocean currents

Answer 14

Based on the direction they are going towards.

Question 15

What current is on the East coast?

Answer 15

Warm Mozambique current

Question 16

What current is on the West coast?

Answer 16

Cold Benguela current

Question 17

What current is on the south coast?

Answer 17

Warm Agulhas

Question 18

What is altitude

Answer 18

Height from the ground level.

Question 19

Explain altitude

Answer 19

The higher we go, the colder it gets. The energy is re-radiated by the earth’s surface. The absence of water vapour is high.

Question 20

What is continentality?

Answer 20

How far a place is from the sea

Question 21

What effect does continentality have?

Answer 21

A moderating influence on temperature.

Question 22

Explain the movement of air pressure during the day.

Answer 22

Air pressure over the land is low and air pressure over the sea is higher.