Final Exam Flashcards
What are the main characteristics of a tropical cyclone?
Rising air
cyclonic rotation
clouds and precipitation
high wind speeds
no fronts
thermal low pressure
develop over tropical oceans
steered by pressure and wind systems around a STH
What are the requirements for tropical cyclone development?
warm ocean surface (27 C or higher)
deep layer of moist air
through of low pressure (easterly wave)
lack of vertical wind shear
sufficient distance from equator for coriolis
What are the different hierarchies for tropical cyclones?
tropical depression - >20 knots
tropical storm - >35 knots
hurricane - >65 knots or 74 mph
What happens when a tropical cyclone becomes a tropical storm?
a name is assigned
names are in alphabetical order, alternating female and male names
what is a storm surge?
high water is driven by low pressure
wind effect is magnified by the forward motion of the storm on the right-front quarter
Define weather
atmospheric conditions at a given time in a specific location
define climate
accumulated and averaged weather patterns of a locality or region; the full description is based in longterm statistics and includes extremes or deviations
define a climate classification system
a method for determining categories of climate types based on climatic weather data and characteristics
define a climate region
a region defined by the similarity of climatic conditions in the area within its boundaries
what is the purpose of classification?
arranging something into “like” groups
Why do we classify things?
create order
easier to understand, learn, and to teach
a good way to compare and contrast
allows mapping
Explain the ancient greek climate classification
the original greek climate classification scheme was expanded and correlated with Earth’s five astronomical zones to depict a world comprising of five climate zones
What do modern climate classifications use?
temperature data
precipitation data
longterm records
seasonal and annual statistical calculations
extreme events
many generalizations
variations are likely to occur across a climate region, true or false
true
what is the most widely used climate classification system?
the köppen system
what is the köppen system based on?
regional temperature and precipitation patterns
what are the advantages to the köppen system?
temperature and precipitation are relatively easy to measure
measured most often and in more parts of the world
most important and effective weather elements
linked to vegetation
what are the disadvantages of the köppen system?
considers only average monthly temperature and precipitation
ignores wind, cloud cover, precipitation intensity, and daily temperature extremes
What are the six major climate zones?
A - humid tropical
B - arid and semi-arid
C - humid mesothermal
D - humid microthermal
E - polar
H - highland
what four climate zones are based on temperature characteristics and have adequate annual moisture?
A, C, D, and E
What do the second letters indicate?
precipitation conditions
What do the thrid letters indicate?
temperature conditions
What are the 4 second letters used with A, C, and D climate zones?
f - wet year round
m - monsoon
w - winter dry
s - summer dry
what are the 4 thrid letters used with A, C, and D climate zones?
a - hot summer
b - warm summer
c - mild summer
d - cold winter
what are the two main types of B climates?
BS - steppe
BW - desert
what are the 2 third letters used with B climates?
h - hot
k - cold
What are the 2 second letters used with E climates?
T - tundra
F - ice sheet
what are the main characteristics of A climates?
high temperature year round
near equator
no winter season
what are the 3 A climate types?
Af - tropical rainforest
Am - tropical monsoon
Aw - dry “winter” tropical savanna
what are the main characteristics of B climates?
year round moisture deficiency
precipitation received is less than potential evapotranspiration
15° N/S to 30° N/S
subtropical high
what are the two types of B climates?
BS - steppe
BW - desert
what are the main characteristics of C climates?
mild winter
Tmin > 0 C
snow is possible in some places, but usually melts off fast
what are the three main types of C climates?
Csa/Csb - dry summer along west coast, Mediterranean
Cfa - moist hot summer along east coast, humid subtropical
Cfb - moist, mild summer along northwest coast, marine west coast
what are the main characteristics of D climates?
severe winters with at least month averaging below freezing
Tmin < 0 C
what are the three main types of D climates?
Dfa/Dwa - hot summer
Dfb/Dwb - mild summer
Dfc/Dwc/Dfd/Dwd - subartic
what are the main characteristics of E climates?
no month has an average temperature exceeding 10 C`
what are the two types of E climates?
ET - tundra, summer thaw
EF - ice sheet, below freezing all year
what are the main characteristics of H climates?
can change air mass movements
create abrupt climate divides
microclimates related to elevation, clouds, and exposure
leeward side is drier
What are climographs?
a standard climograph shows average monthly temperature and rainfall
horizontal index line are at 0 C, 10 C, 18 C, and 22 C. these are the köppen temperature parameters by which climate data are classified
what is an ecosystem?
a community of organisms and their physical environment (including soils, topography, streams, wetlands, etc.)
what two categories do ecosystems consist of
biotic and abiotic elements
what are biotic elements?
organisms - individuals of various species
biomass - all of the living and non-living biological material
genetic resources - indicated total variation among populations of species in a community
what are abiotic elements?
air - gas exchange
water - photosynthesis
sunlight - photosynthesis
temperature - warmth for metabolic activity
nutrients - photosynthesis in plants; energy in animals; CO2 is a major plant nutrient
what is a biome?
a collection of broadly similar types of plants and animals in a geographical area
what are biomes a primary function of?
climate
climate determines what kind of organisms can live in an area, true or false
true
what are the four main biome types?
forests
grassland
desert
arctic and alpine tundra
describe forests
associated with large woody perennial tree species
height of trees forms a closed canopy
exist only where there is a net moisture balance
what is a net moisture balance?
where moisture availability exceeds potential evapotranspiration
what are some examples of tropical forests?
tropical rainforest
monsoon rainforest
thornbush and scrub forest
what are some examples of midlatitude forests?
Mediterranean sclerophyllous woodland
broadleaf deciduous forest
broadleaf evergreen forest
mixed forest
coniferous forest
describe grasslands
globally extensive in the continental interior where most of the precipitation falls in the high-sun (summer) season
thought that grasses are dominant only where trees and shrubs cannot tolerate excessive deficient soil moisture, although there are clues that grasslands have expanded under the human influence in forest areas, particularly for agriculture
what would you most likely find in deserts?
xerophytic adaptations for plants
what are some examples of xerophytic adaptations?
deep roots
small leaves
waxy leaves
deciduous
rapid germination and flowering
water storage
hairs or spines
shallow roots
CAM and C4 metabolic pathways
when would plants have deep roots? shallow roots?
deep - there is deep soil moisture/groundwater
shallow - deep water does not exist
what is the difference among A climates?
annual totals of precipitation and seasonal distribution of precipitation
what are the characteristics for an Af climate?
equatorial locations, within 10° N/S
the coolest month is over 18 C
annual temperature range, 2-3 C
driest month over 6cm
precipitation evenly distributed year round
high humidity; regular and high amount of cloud cover
what are the climate controls for Af climate?
low latitude
high sun angles
regular day length year round
ITZC
convectional lifting
tradewinds lifting air onto coasts and mountains orographic lifting
eastern coastlines with warm ocean currents
trees transpire lots of vapor - wet climate
what vegetation is linked with Af climates?
tropical rainforest biome
what are the characteristics for Am climates?
coastal locations within the tropics
coolest month is over 18 C
annual temperature range is 2-6 C
one month or more with less than 6cm rain
precipitation max during high-sun season, hottest temps immediately prior