hazardous earth - paper 1 Flashcards
how is heat distributed
pressure differences
ocean currents
what would happen if heat wasn’t redistributed
it would be too hot by the equator but too cold by the poles to be habitable - wind helps move air around
what is pressure differences like on land and why
heats quickly in summer and cools quickly in winter due to the land heating the air above, which expands and becomes lighter and rises which forms a low pressure in summer and high pressure in winter
what is pressure differences like at sea and why
takes longer to heat but also takes longer to cool. the air above is dense and cool in the summer which forms a area of high pressure in summer and low pressure in winter
what is pressure differences like with wind and why
wind moves air from a high to low pressure.
January in the Southern Hemisphere there is an area of low pressure (Australia) as they are warmer than the oceans. due to the oceans being cooler they form areas of high pressure.
opposite happens for the northern hemisphere then they switch for the NH summer
explain the Gulf Stream ocean current and how it works
- cold, salty water sinks in the northern Atlantic
- creates convention current
- drags water down
- warmer water is drawn from the equator
- cools and sinks near Greenland
- flows south to the equator to be warmed again
what does ITCZ stand for
inter-tropical convergent zone
what does the ITCZ do in June
the sun is over the Tropic of Cancer so the ITCZ moves north bringing rain to the Northern Hemisphere
what does the ITCZ do in December/jan
the sun is over the Tropic of Capricorn so the ITCZ moves north bringing rain to the Southern Hemisphere
what is the ITCZ part of
global circulation model
where does the ITCZ form
forms within the tropics where two air masses converge created between the Hadley cells
facts about the Hadley cell
- caused by heating and cooling
- creates a low and high pressure system
- consists of 2 parts - one either side of the equator
- both parts move together as the sun moves overhead seasonally
how does the Hadley cell form the ITCZ in July
- land warms air, expands and becomes lighter and rises - now low pressure over Sahara
- cooler, denser, high pressure air forms as the sea is cooler than the land
- ‘trade winds’ blow from high to low pressure towards the southern Sahara - carry moisture to West Africa
- high pressure forms over the Atlantic Ocean (sea is cooler than land)
- trade winds blow south, drawn by low-pressure at the ITCZ.
how does the Hadley cell form the ITCZ in January/dec
- winter the in the northern hemisphere with cool dense high pressure over North Africa
- Southern Hemisphere warms as the sun is over the Tropic of Capricorn - forms low pressure
- ‘trade winds’ blow from high to low pressure towards the southern Sahara - carries dry air causing its dry season
- trade winds meet others from the southern hemisphere to form the ITCZ
- rising air cools and becomes denser - it spreads out as it reaches high the atmosphere and falls as high pressure to repeat the cycle
what are the 2 other cells in the global circulation model
ferrel (30-60 degrees N&S)
polar (60-90 degrees N&S)
what is satellite imagery and what is it used for
images which are taken from space satellites and are a form of geographical information system (GIS) and are used to predict weather
what do climate graphs show
rainfall and temperature at the same time
how are rainfall, temp and months show on a climate graph
rainfall - bars
temp - line
months - x axis
why do we need to track cyclones
vital for hazard prediction and to predict their movement
the eruption theory
large volcanos alter earths climate for a few years by producing sulphur dioxide and ash which then rise into the stratosphere and reflect some sunlight back to space so earth cools.
asteroid collision theory
big asteroids may change earths climate for 5-10 years by millions of tonnes of ash and dust would be blasted into the atmosphere, blocking incoming sunlight and cooling the climate.
sunspots theory
sunspots are where black areas on the sun appear when the sun is more active by more sunspots it can be deduced that there is more solar energy coming to earth - cooler periods could be explained by fewer sunspots
orbital change theory
long term changes can be explained by the way the earth orbits the sun.
the earth can sometimes move more oval like or circular or the tilt can be more upright or slanted - all of these could be factors towards the start or end of the ice age as they affect the amount of sunlight earth receives
how do ice cores explain past climates
ice sheets contain layers of ice - youngest being the top
air bubbles of CO2 get trapped which can also tell us past temperatures
also tell us there has been colder glacial periods
how do tree rings explain past climates
each ring shows a years growth - tell us a trees lifetime - warmer and wetter years a tree grows more
how do historical sources explain past climates
historical photos, diaries, newspapers or recorded dates of events help show what climates were like before compared to now
what are the gases which make up the greenhouse gases
nitrogen - plant growth
carbon dioxide - gas taken in by plants
oxygen - breathed in by plants
water vapour - makes clouds
what is the greenhouse effect
completely natural way which the atmosphere trap heat from the sun and warms the planet to make it habitable
what is the enhanced greenhouse effect
human process where greenhouse gases are produced by human activities such as burning fossil fuels which pollute the atmosphere which adds CO2 into the environment
burning fossil fuels is the main way we gain our electricity
thermal expansion
sea expanding due to ice melting which increases sea levels
why do climate scientists find it hard to predict what will happen in the future
population may grow
fossil fuels may be changed to renewable energy
peoples lifestyles may change
what do climate scientists predict
temp will rise between 1.1 and 6.4 degrees C
sea levels will rise
what can climate change cause
more frequent floods an droughts
stronger storms
changes to farming
what is a cyclone
a rotating system of clouds and storms which form over subtropical waters with winds which can exceed 118km/h
can be know as a typhoon or hurricane also