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HELENP EE Ecology > EE Lecture 18: The Climates of a Rotating Earth > Flashcards

EE Lecture 18: The Climates of a Rotating Earth Flashcards

(95 cards)

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1
Q

what is Q10

A

the factor by which a reaction changes over a 10degreesC range
Q10 ~~2

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2
Q

what effects the distribution of biomes

A

climate

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3
Q

what have major impacts on ecological processes, causing droughts, floods and swings in marine productivity

A

oceanic currents

global air circulation

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4
Q

what do global air circulation and oceanic currents cause

A

drought, floods and swings in marine productivity

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5
Q

what causes swings in marine productivity

A

global air circulations

oceanic currents

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6
Q

what do ocean movements determine

A

upwelling and marine productivity

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7
Q

what determines upwelling and marine productivity

A

ocean movements

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8
Q

what are the main aspects of climate

A

latitude
maritime or continental influence
altitude
aspect

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9
Q

why is latitude important

A

due to radiation and seasonality

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10
Q

how to calculate intensity

A

the total radiation per unit area

it is inversely proportional to the cosine of latitude

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11
Q

what is inversely proportional to the cosine of latitude

A

intensity

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12
Q

what does latitude do

A

initiates the fundamental circulation

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13
Q

what is atmospheric circulation

A

the large scale movement of air and the means (along with ocean circulation) by which thermal energy is distributed on the Earths surface

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14
Q

how is thermal energy distributed on the earths surface

A

through atmospheric circulation and smaller oceanic currents

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15
Q

what are the four major pressure belts on the earth

A
  1. equatorial low pressure: DOLDRUMS belt - receiving direct sunrays so air here is warm 5n/s
  2. subtropical high pressure, 30-35N/s - cools as rises and spreads outwards towards poles: HORSE LATITUDES:STRONG WINDS
    3.subpolar LOW pressure belt 60-65N/S created mainly due to rotation of earth which swings the bulk of air TOWARD equator - stormy areas
  3. polar HIGH pressure - in polar regions
    created because air V COLD+HEAVY leads to high pressure

pressure belts caused mainly due to temp of Es surface

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16
Q

why arent the pressure belts of the earth continuous

A

because earths surface is made of land&water which get heated in different ways

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17
Q

what are four major pressure belts on earth

A

equator
horselatitudes
pole
frontal systems

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18
Q

what occurs in equator pressure belt

A

doldrums belt
equatorial low rpessure - warm air due to direct sunrays
5degrees N/S

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19
Q

what occurs in horse latitudes

A

subtropical high pressure 30-35degN/S
STRONG WINDS
air cools as rises and spreads towards poles

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20
Q

wht occurs in frontal systems

A

subpolar LOW pressure belt 60-65deg N/S created mainly due to earth rotation which swings bulk of air TOWARD equator - stormy areas

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21
Q

what occurs in polar systems

A

polar HIGH pressure due to v cold & heavy air - high pressure

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22
Q

why are different pressure belts created

A

due to temp Earths surfqace

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23
Q

why arent the pressure belts of the earth continuous

A

because earths surface made of land an water which get heated in different ways

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24
Q

how can belt movement be shifted

A

by sun - causes precipitation belts to change

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25
what are wind systems
movements of air caused by the uneven heating of eath by sun
26
how is wind deflected in N hemisphere
towards right
27
how is wind deflected in S hemisphere
towards LEFT
28
what are Coriolis effects
air flows dont move in straight path because of spinning of earth deflecting it
29
where are coriolis' effects absent
at equator
30
how can wind be measured
anenometer | wind vane
31
name pressure belt which is 5degN/S equator
equatorial pressure belt:Doldrums
32
what is pressure of air like @ equator/doldrums
low pressure - v warm air
33
name pressure belt 30-35degN/S equator
Horse Latitudes - strong winds | high pressure
34
what is pressure of air like @ horse latitudes
v strong wind therefore high pressure
35
name pressure belt at 60-65N/S
frontal system low pressure stormy area
36
what is pressure of air like @ frontal system
low pressure
37
what is pressure of air like @ polar regions
high pressure because air v cold and heavy
38
how is northward flowing air from equator travelling
fast air over slower ground so deflects east
39
how is southward flowing air towards equator travelling
slower air flowing on faster ground so deflects west
40
what produces seasons
the elliptical orbit of the earth around the und
41
name some long term cycles
orbital Milankovitch - climate cycles Earths acis tilt cycle Sun spot cycles
42
what are Milankovitch cycles -period?
orbital cycles | 95k yr
43
name an orbital cycle
Milankovitch cycle - period 95k yr | generate long term climate cycles like glacial and pluvial interglacial periods
44
what do Milankovitch cycles generate
long term climate cycles like glacial and pluvial interglacial periods
45
what is the cycle of the Earths acis tilt
currently 23.5 deg | vary between 22 and 24.5 with a periodicity of 41000 yrs
46
what is the current axis tilt of earth | how does it vary
23.5 deg | vary between 22 and 24.5 with a periodicity of 41000 yrs
47
what is periodicity of Earths axis tilt
95000 yrs
48
what are sun spot cycle periods
11 yrs
49
what is the Dry adiabatic lapse rate
cooling of temp at 10deg per km as air expands as it rises
50
what is the cooling temp of air by 10 degrees also known as
Dry Adiabatic Lapse Rate
51
what is the Moist Adiabatic Lapse Rate
water condensing as air cools, gaining some heat of condensation at 6deg per km
52
what is the rate at which water condensing as air cools gains heat of condensation of 6deg per km
Moist Adiabatic Lapse Rate
53
compare sea level on caribbean to pacific side of Panama
sea level is 0.5km higher on Caribbean than on pacific side of panama
54
what does the build up of water cause
watdr flow
55
what causes oceanic currents
Coriolis forces which deflect the water into characteristic patterns
56
what pushes masses of sea water up against continents
prevailing winds
57
what are El Nino currents aka
christmas currents
58
what do normal currents follow
trade winds dry in peru wet in SE America
59
what does El Nino do
reverses normal trade winds currents, from peru to SE America TO S America back to peru
60
what does El Nino cause
dry S America | wet peru
61
how does El Nino affect fisheries
nutrient poor warm water from SE America to Peru impacts fisheries in Peru badly
62
why are oceans heat sinks
because of high latent heat of water - can act as radiators as they absorb and release relatively large quantities of heat to the atmosphere without undergoing larg temp changes
63
how can continents act as winter coolerw
in winter - cold arctic temps extend southward over Asia and N America snow cover increases albedo - reflect solar radioation high pressure over continental interior cause cold air to flow toward ocean
64
where do cold arctic temps extend to in winter
over Asia and N America
65
what effect does snow cover have on albedo
it increases albedo
66
what does high pressure over the continental interior cause
cold air to flow towards the oceans - acting as winter coolers
67
give an example of where microclimate exists
At high latitudes, opposite sides of a valley have very different climates At a smaller scale, the opposite faces of a hoof-print experience vastly different microclimates
68
how does the effect of aspect change with latitude
the effect of aspect increases with latitude
69
what are the ecological consequences of climate
rainfall temp wind and ice exposure, snow cover
70
what patterns does temperature have
Latitudinal Altitudinal Diurnal Seasonal
71
outline the annual patterns of temperature
equatorial temps vary least - continental temp vary most - maritime influence moderates temp fluctuation
72
where abouts in world does temp vary least
at equator
73
where do temps vary most
continental temps vary most
74
what moderates temp fluctuation
maritime influence
75
write eqt linking temp and productivity
Y = 3000 / [1 + e^(1.315-0.119x)]
76
what does this show Y = 3000 / [1 + e^(1.315-0.119x)]
temp and productivity relationship y = NPP x = mean annual temp
77
what are rainfall patterns associated with
latitude topography season
78
discuss rainfall and latitiude relationship
``` RAINFALL AND LATITUDE: high @ equator v low @ poles low in horse latitudes moderate at 50deg ```
79
where is rainfall highest
@ equator
80
where is rainfall lowest
@ poles
81
where is rainfall low (not lowest)
@ horse latitudes
82
discuss relationship between rainfall and altitude
rainshadow in the lee of mountain chains - there is a condensation level on side of mountain
83
discuss relationship betweeen rainfall and season
``` some places have strongly seasonal rainfall eg. Cameroun has 2 wet seasons Other places (eg. Britain) have more or less aseasonal rainfall ```
84
name a place with strongly seasonal rainfall
Cameroun - has 2 wet seasons
85
how many wet seasons does Cameroun have
2 wet seasons
86
name somewhere with aseasonal rainfall
Britain
87
write eqtn linking rainfall and productivity
Y = 3000*[1- e^(-0.000664x)]
88
Y = 3000*[1- e^(-0.000664x)] what is this eqn
rainfall and productivity relationship y=NPP x=precipitation
89
discuss pattern of rainfall in Britain
extreme east to west gradient prevailing SW winds mountains concentrated on W some parts SE MEditerranean regimes of rainfall
90
what is rainfall gradient in Britain
extreme east to west gradient
91
what winds are present in Britain
prevailing SW winds
92
where are mountains mostly concentrated in Britain
on W
93
what is Rosenzweig's Rule
log NPP is linearly related to the log of actual evapotranspiraion
94
what is Whittaker's Biome-type Classification scheme
based classification of biomes on precipitation and temp | classification of global biomes
95
define biome
a grp of terrestrial ecosystems on a given continent that are similar in vegetation, structure and physiognomy

HELENP EE Ecology (8 decks)

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