geography Flashcards
What does weather mean?
day to day changes in air conditions.
examples of weather changes ( TWRCH)
temperature, wind, rainfall clouds, humidity
What does climate mean?
average weather over many years
examples of climate
rainfall, temperature
factors affecting climate ( LOPAD)
latitude, altitude distance from sea, prevailing winds ocean currents
why does latitude affect climate
At higher latitudes he suns rays are spread over a larger area and are therefore not as hot (example Arctic and Antarctica)
why does altitude affect climate
every 100m in height the temperature drops by 1
why does distance from sea affect climate
land warms and cools very quickly whereas the sea remains nearly the same temperature
how do clouds form
as warm moist air rises it cools. water vapour condenses into water droplets and clouds form
what are the three ways air can rise
Convection relief frontal
what is convection rain
in hot weather the sun heats the ground which warms the air above it, This warm air rises rapidly cooling and forming large thunderclouds.
What is relief
Air is forced to rise over hills as it does it cools and condenses and rain occurs on the windward side. as it passes over the hill the air descends and there is little rain
What is frontal
where a cold air mass meets a warm air mass the warm air rises over the cold resulting in light rain on the warm front
where are the prevailing winds from in Europe
the prevailing winds are from the sw bringing mild wet weather
What is a microclimate
A climate within a small area
aspect
south facing areas facing the sun and are warmer than north facing areas
Surface
Buildings and some surface materials store heat
Shade
Buildings and trees create shade
shelter
buildings and trees act as wind breaks reducing the wind chill factor
evaporation
when water turns from liquid into water vapour
transpiration
water returning to the atmosphere through plant leaves
condensation
water vapour turning into water droplets as it cools forming clouds
precipitation
rain hail sleet and snow ( all count as rainfall)
Overland flow (run-off)
water flowing over the surface such as rivers
through flow (infiltration)
water flowing through soil or permeable rocks on its way to rivers or underground flow
