Differential heating, ITCZ and Ocean current

Question 1

What is the atmosphere and what does it help us with?

Answer 1

the layer of gasses above the Earth’s surface

• moves heat around the world
• protects us from the cold in space
• protects us from harmful sun rays

Question 2

What is differential heating?

Answer 2

where some areas of the earth are heated more than others

Question 3

Why does the equator heat up more than the poles?

Answer 3

> surface area the radiation hits is smaller at the equator-more intense energy
poles are cold and have ice, ice is white and reflects energy rather than absorb it
atmosphere is thicker at pole than equator-more radiations is absorbed by atmosphere at the poles
close to sun-radiation more intense

Question 4

What happens to the pressure when warm air rises?

Answer 4

there is less pressure

Question 5

What happens to the pressure when cold air sinks?

Answer 5

high pressure

Question 6

Describe the process on how clouds and rain forms?

Answer 6

1. When warm air rises it cools
2. It then condenses (gas to liquid)
3. This is how clouds form
4. precipitation (water or ice) will fall when clouds can hold no more droplets

Question 7

What are the name of the 3 cells?

Answer 7

• Hadley
• Ferral
• Polar

Question 8

What are the different latitudes and their air pressures?

Answer 8

> 0 degrees-low
30 degrees-high
60 degrees-low
90 degrees-high

Question 9

Describe the movement of air in a Hadley cell?

Answer 9

-It rises at the equator and moves away before cooling, it therefore the falls

Question 10

What type of weather is there usually at the equator?

Answer 10

Very hot and wet

Question 11

What type of pressure is there usually at the equator?

Answer 11

low

Question 12

Describe the movement of air in a Ferrel cell.

Answer 12

At 30 degrees the air is more dense than at the equator so it falls. The air moves towards the pole and away from the equator as air moves from high to low.

Question 13

What type of weather is there usually at 30 degrees latitude and why?

Answer 13

Hot and arid/dry
>temperature-still close to equator so receives high solar radiation from sun compared to other areas
>rainfall-the air is cooler than equator so it falls-in order for rain to fall air needs to rise

Question 14

Describe the movement of air in a Polar cell?

Answer 14

It falls as the temperature here is very cold.

Question 15

What type of air pressure is there at the polar region?

Answer 15

high

Question 16

What type of weather is there at the poles and why?

Answer 16

Cold and dry
>temperature-far from the equator and receives less solar radiation from the sun
>rainfall-air falls so no air can’t rise, cool and condense to form rain

Question 17

What is the ITCZ?

Answer 17

the international convergence zone (ITCZ) is an area of low pressure on and close to the equator.
It is where trade winds come together.

Question 18

Describe the movement of ocean currents?

Answer 18

• cold water near the poles sinks as cold water is dense, they move towards the equator e.g. Labrador current.
• warm water rises and moves away from the equator e.g. the Gulf Stream/North Atlantic Drift.