geog cram Flashcards
latitude
distance measured in degrees north and south of equator
where are the tropics
tropic of cancer 23.5N
tropic of capricorn 23.5S
longitude
distance east or west of prime meridian measured in degrees
characteristics of tropics
- 23.5N and S of equator between cancer and capricorn
- high temps throughout the year; 23.5C on an average day
- one season — summer
- receives most sunshine in the world
- high precipitation rates >2000mm per year
weather
conditions of the atmosphere at a specific place over a relatively short period of time
climate
average weather conditions of a specific place over a considerable period of time, usually more than 30 years
temperature
degree of hotness or coldness of a place
how latitude affects temperature (hint: angle sun’s rays strike earth)
- at or near equator: angle at which sun’s rays strike earth is higher/right angle; solar radiation concentrated over smaller area hence temp is higher
- further away from equator at higher latitudes, angle at which sun’s rays strike the earth is lower; solar radiation is spread out over a larger area hence temp is lower
how altitude affects temperature (hint: density)
- top of mountain: air is less dense with fewer air and dust molecules, retaining less heat
- base of mountain: air is denser with more air and dust particles, retaining more heat. because gravity pulls most particles towards the ground surface
how albedo affects temperature
type of surface
higher albedo=greater reflectivity
how a lot of cloud cover affects temperature
- day: presence of clouds reflect some of the solar radiation back into space. less solar radiation reaches ground; relatively low temp.
- night: clouds slow down the rate at which longwave radiation escapes into space. cloudy nights feel warmer as the atmosphere retains more heat.
- smaller diurnal (daily) temp range.
how little cloud cover affects temperature
- day: incoming solar radiation reaches earth’s surface without obstruction. ground heats up more quickly; warmer temp.
- night: max amount of heat escapes into space. atmosphere cools down quickly; relatively low temp.
- larger diurnal temp range
what are the factors that affect temperature
latitude, altitude, cloud cover, albedo (lava)
hydrological cycle
precipitation; infiltration, percolation, groundwater flow; surface runoff; evaporation; transpiration; condensation
infiltration
process by which water enters ground or soil
percolation
downward flow of water through soil into groundwater due to gravity
groundwater flow
very slow movement of water below earth’s surface
surface runoff
water that travels over the surface of the ground to reach streams and rivers
evaporation
process of water changing from liquid to gaseous state
transpiration
process by which water lost through surface of a plant
condensation
process of water changing from gaseous to liquid state
precipitation
water that falls from clouds towards ground
relative humidity
measure of actual amount of water vapour in the air compared to total amount of water vapour tat air can hold at its current temperature
absolute humidity
max amount of water vapour that air can hold at a given temperature