Global Hazards Flashcards
Latitude
Imaginary lines surrounding the Earth ranging from 0ﾟ at the equator to 90ﾟat the polls
Hemisphere
A 1/2 of the Earth usually northern and Southern halves divided by the equator
Troposphere
An area of the Earth’s atmosphere where the weather occurs (0 to 15 kmeters high)
Climate Zones
Divisions of the Earth’s climates in to zones according to the average temperatures and average rainfall. The 4 major zones are polar, temperate, tropical, and subtropical
Atmospheric air pressure
The force exerted on the Earth’s surface by the weight of the air
Low pressure
Caused by rising air so less air is pressing down on the ground as warm air rises as it warms leaving low pressure on the surface, clouds will form as the warm air condenses in the higher atmosphere
High pressure
Caused by sinking air descending as it cools, where there is more air pressing down on the ground
Condensation
The process where rising water vapour becomes liquid
Precipitation
The collective term for moisture that falls from the atmosphere this can be rain, hail, sleet, or snow
Trade winds
The prevailing pattern of Easterly surface winds found in the tropics, within the lower section of the Earth’s atmosphere
Front
A boundary separating 2 masses of air with different densities
Prevailing wind
The most frequent or common wind direction
Rain shadow
An area or region behind a hill that has little rainfall because it is sheltered from rain bearing winds
Monsoon
Heavy rainfall that arrives as a result of seasonal wind, notably in Southern Asia and India between may and September
Katabatic Winds
Movements of coal dense air that flow downhill and along valley floors
El Niño
Climatic changes affecting the Pacific region and beyond every few years, characterised by unusually warm water around northern Peru and Ecuador
Thermocline
The point at which the temperature changes from warmer surface waters to deeper, colder waters
Droughts
A prolonged period of time with unusually low rainfall; droughts occur when there is not enough rainfall to support people or crops
Tropical storm
A tropical storm is an intense low pressure weather system that can last for days to weeks but within the tropical regions of our planet
Coriolis effect
The result of the Earth’s rotation on weather patterns and ocean currents
Intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ)
Low pressure belt which encircles the globe around the equator
Heatwave
Defined in the uk by the met office as when daily maximum temperature exceeds the average by 5ﾟC for more than 5 consecutive days
Super Typhoon
A storm that reaches sustained wind speeds of at least 150 miles per hour
Most tropical storms occur between _° and _° North and south of the equator
5 and 30
Water has to be around _°C for tropical storms to form
26.5/ 27
