Environmental Variation

Question 1

How can the planet be divided?

Answer 1

Into latitudinal (N-S) lines (parallels)
Into longitudinal (W-E) lines (meridians)

Question 2

Where are latitudinal and longitudinal lines zero?

Answer 2

latitude = equator
longitude = prime meridian

Question 3

What latitude are the north and south poles on?

Answer 3

90°

Question 4

What is important about the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn?

Answer 4

These are the maximum latitudes at which the sun is directly overhead

Question 5

What is notable about the Artic and Antarctic circles?

Answer 5

66° latitude
The sun never sets during at least 1 day per year

Question 6

What is weather?

Answer 6

A day-to-day state of our atmosphere

Question 7

What is climate?

Answer 7

Long-term averages of weather

Question 8

What is solar angle of incidence?

Answer 8

Different parts of the planet receive different amounts of solar energy depending on their latitude and the associated solar angle of incidence

Question 9

What is the solar angle of incidence at the equator?

Answer 9

90°
Directly overhead
Energy hits smaller surface compared to higher latitudes (hotter)
Distance between Earth and sun is shorter

Question 10

What is the solar angle of incidence at the poles?

Answer 10

«90°, never overhead
Energy is scattered across a larger surface
Distance between sun and Earth is longer (colder)

Question 11

How does the uneven distribution of solar energy relate to global air circulation?

Answer 11

It acts like a motor that sustains major air circulations

Question 12

What are the properties of air?

Answer 12

Warm air always rises and cool air descends
Warm air absorbs more moisture than cold air

Question 13

What are Hadley cells?

Answer 13

Form due to warm air rising, cooling, and forming condensation or rain at the equator

Question 14

What are Ferrel cells?

Answer 14

Maintained by the strong energy of the other cells
Dry air

Question 15

What are polar cells?

Answer 15

Form due to the warming and cooling of air
Air masses rise at 60° and cool down closer to the poles, where they descend as very cold air

Question 16

How does the Coriolis effect affect wins in the Northern hemisphere?

Answer 16

Winds deflection to the right of their travel direction

Question 17

How does the Coriolis effect affect winds in the Southern hemisphere?

Answer 17

Deflected to the left of their travel direction

Question 18

Which way do winds from Hadley cells go?

Answer 18

Towards the equator

Question 19

Which way do winds from Ferrel cells go?

Answer 19

Away from the equator

Question 20

Which way do winds from Polar cells go?

Answer 20

Towards the equator

Question 21

Which way do storms spin in the Northern hemisphere?

Answer 21

Counter-clockwise

Question 22

Which way do storms spin the Southern hemisphere?

Answer 22

Clockwise

Question 23

How do topographic effects from mountain ranges affect climate?

Answer 23

Warm, moist air from the ocean rises, cools, and condenses
Dry air advances over he mountain range and causes a rain shadow

Question 24

What are ocean currents important for?

Answer 24

The exchange of water masses, energy, salts, nutrients

Question 25

What are gyres?

Answer 25

Horizontally circulating, major water currents in our oceans, driven by winds, the Coriolis effect, and land masses

Question 26

What is the Ekmen spiral?

Answer 26

The coriolis effect and wind move water masses in a vertical fashion

With increasing depth, the forces diminishes and changes direction due to friction in water

The wind directed water resembles a vertical spiral

Question 27

What is the result of the Ekmen spiral?

Answer 27

The net transport direction of water will be 90° different than the surface wind direction

Question 28

What is a coastal upwelling?

Answer 28

Wind-driven off-shore movement of water
Deeper waters replace displaced water nearshore
Deeper waters are nutrient-enriched