Global Temperatures Flashcards
How is the suns energy redistributed?
By pressure differences and ocean currents
What would happen if there was no redistribution?
Hotter tropics and cooler polar regions
How does the land heat up?
Quick in summer, cools quick in winter, air above heats up becoming lighter and rising, forms areas of low pressure in summer, high pressure in winter
How does the sea heat up?
takes longer to heat and cool, air above is more dense and cool in summer, wind created when air moves from H pressure to L, low pressure forms in southern hemisphere countries as they are warmer than the oceans, as the oceans are cooler high pressure is formed above
what happens in the northern hemisphere at the same time?
the opposite
what countries does low pressure form over
south america, africa and australia
what ocean current heats up europe’s temperature
the gulf stream
How does it do this?
wind moves warm water from gulf of mexico north eastwards to europe
What exactly happens in the golf stream?
Cold, salty water in the north Atlantic sinks to create convection currents. These drag the surface water downwards drawing warmer water from the equator. This water cools and sinks near Greenland and flows back to the equator where it is then warmed up again.
