D1 Climate

Question 1

What is climate?

Answer 1

Climate is the average weather conditions that occur in a region over a long period of time, usually a minimum of 30 years.

Question 2

What is weather?

Answer 2

Weather refers to the condition of temperature, air pressure, cloud cover and precipitation that occur at a particular place at a particular time.

Question 3

What is the atmosphere?

Answer 3

The layer of gases that surround Earth

Question 4

What is atmospheric dust?

Answer 4

Tiny, solid particles suspended in the atmosphere

Question 5

What is biosphere?

Answer 5

Biosphere: a relatively thin layer of Earth that has conditions suitable for life

Question 6

What is the hydrosphere?

Answer 6

hydrosphere: the water on Earth, whether present as liquid, water vapour, or ice

Question 7

What is inversion?

Answer 7

inversion: a reversal of normal temperature patterns seen in the troposphere In an inversion, there is an increase of temperature with height through a layer of air.

Question 8

What is the lithosphere?

Answer 8

Lithosphere: the solid outer portion of Earth, composed of rocks, minerals, and elements

Question 9

What is the mesosphere?

Answer 9

mesosphere: the atmospheric layer above the stratosphere, from 50 km to 80 km above Earth’s surface

Question 10

What is ozone?

Answer 10

ozone: a molecule composed of three atoms of oxygen

Question 11

What is the ozone layer?

Answer 11

ozone layer: a layer in the stratosphere containing high levels of ozone gas

Question 12

What is ozone gas?

Answer 12

ozone gas - absorbs large amounts of energy from the sun rays, which causes the temperature in the stratosphere to increase with altitude - protects living organisms from damaging high energy radiation

Question 13

What is ozone gas?

Answer 13

ozone gas - absorbs large amounts of energy from the sun rays, which causes the temperature in the stratosphere to increase with altitude - protects living organisms from damaging high energy radiation

Question 14

What is the stratosphere?

Answer 14

Stratosphere: the atmospheric layer above the troposphere, from 10 km to 50 km above Earth’s surface

Question 15

What is the thermosphere?

Answer 15

thermosphere: the highest atmospheric layer, from 80 km to 300 km above Earth’s surface

Question 16

What is the troposphere?

Answer 16

troposphere: the atmospheric layer from 0 km to 10 km above Earth’s surface

Question 17

What is adaptation?

Answer 17

Adaptation: any change in the structure or function of an organism that makes it more suited to its environment; the structure or function itself resulting from adaptation.

Question 18

What is anecdotal evidence?

Answer 18

Anecdotal evidence: evidence that relies on reports from people about particular events and their interpretation of these events

Question 19

What is climate change?

Answer 19

Climate Change: a change that occurs in the climate of a region over a long period of time

Question 20

What is scientific evidence?

Answer 20

Scientific Evidence: evidence collected in a manner that ensures it is unbiased and reflects general situations rather than particular events. Scientific evidence is usually collected by trained scientists and checked by other trained scientists.

Question 21

What is scientific evidence?

Answer 21

Scientific Evidence: evidence collected in a manner that ensures it is unbiased and reflects general situations rather than particular events. Scientific evidence is usually collected by trained scientists and checked by other trained scientists.