factors affecting climate Flashcards
how is energy distributed?
wind and ocean currents re-distribute energy globally
what is the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone?
It is an area of low pressure at the equator that creates clouds and rain. It’s location changes dependant on where the suns insolation is at it’s strongest.
What are the different types of winds?
1) the ‘trade winds’ move towards the equator
2) the ‘westerlies’ travel towards the poles
describe how latitude affects the national climate.
At the poles, countries receive the same amount of suns energy as at the equator. However, this insolation is needing to spread across a larger area so energy is less concentrated.
what are the 3 types of circulation cells?
a) THE HADLEY CELL - location is between the equator and 30 degrees north and south.
b) THE FERREL CELL - between 30 and 60 degrees north and south of the equator.
c) THE POLAR CELL - between 60 degrees and the poles north and south.
describe ocean currents.
Ocean currents are caused by differences in water density as a result of differing level of salt present in the sea and the overall temperature of the water. ocean currents can be affected by the positioning of land masses to guide the currents, the strength of surface winds & the convergence of warm and cold currents dispersing the water. The majority of the sun’s radiation is absorbed by the ocean and then distributed globally in the from of currents, thereby affecting the climate.