Influences Upon Climate

Question 1

How does latitude affect the climate of an area?

Answer 1

It affects the amount of insolation and the diurnal range

Question 2

How does insolation affect climate?

Answer 2

Areas located in the tropics are less angled against the sun’s rays so the concentration of light energy and heat energy is more intense and therefore causes warmer temperatures annually.
Conversely, the polar regions are more angled and so the concentration is more spread out across a wider region so is colder

Question 3

How does the diurnal range affect the climate of an area?

Answer 3

The tropics are subject to more daylight hours than the poles so experience warmer temperatures. In contrast, the poles have a greater diurnal range and so depending upon the time of year experience 24 hours of daylight or night

Question 4

When do the Poles experience 24 hours of daylight and darkness?

Answer 4

Daylight = Winter Solstice 
Darkness = Summer Solstice

Question 5

How does altitude affect climate?

Answer 5

Areas that are close to sea level experience warmer temperatures because air cools at 6.5 Degrees Celsius per kilometre. Areas that are higher up do not experience the full effect the the earth’s heat radiation. Areas that are higher up also experience more rain as they are closer to the dew point.

Question 6

How does the Tri-Cellular model affect climate?

Answer 6

It is responsible for transporting air form the tropics to the poles. During this process, depending upon latitude, this can result in an area experiencing the uplift of air or the descent. This makes the area more or less subject to either depressions or anticyclones

Question 7

What percentage of the earth’s transportation of air between tropics and poles is the tri-cellular model responsible for?

Answer 7

80%

Question 8

How do the planetary surface winds affect ocean currents?

Answer 8

The earth’s planetary surface winds cause ocean currents to move in a specific direction. The prevailing winds in the Atlantic Ocean between North America and Western Europe are in a clockwise direction, from the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean to Western Europe.

Question 9

How do the ocean currents affect climate?

Answer 9

They transport different water masses of varying temperature between the tropics and Poles. Ocean currents that move from a warm region to a cooler region transport warmer water masses from the tropics to the poles, the warmer water warms the atmosphere above and thus brings warmer temperatures to an area.

Question 10

How does the Gulf Stream work?

Answer 10

It transports warm tropical air from the Caribbean to Western Europe along the North-Western side of the ocean. This warmer ocean causes Western Europe’s atmosphere to warm and so this region experiences a warmer climate for an area of this latitude.

Question 11

What is the scientific name for an ocean current?

Answer 11

Gyre

Question 12

What percentage of the earth’s atmosphere are the ocean current’s responsible for transporting?

Answer 12

20%

Question 13

What is Albedo?

Answer 13

The reflective capability of a surface?

Question 14

How does Albedo affect climate?

Answer 14

Areas that have a greater Albedo rating than others are unable to absorb as much incoming radiation and so they do not retain heat therefore are typically colder.

Question 15

What surfaces have a high albedo rating and what is their rating?

Answer 15

Snow = 80-90%

Sand (Dry) = 40%

Question 16

What areas on the earth’s surface both have a high albedo rating but have contrasting climates?

Answer 16

The Poles and Tropics have a high albedo rating however the percentage being reflected out at the tropics in relation to coming in is small due to its latitudinal position. Conversely the poles don’t have much coming in anyway so the high albedo makes them extremely cold

Question 17

What is continentality?

Answer 17

The proximity of the land and water

Question 18

How does continentality affect climate?

Answer 18

Temperature, wind and precipitation

Question 19

How does continentality affect the temperatures of a climate?

Answer 19

Oceans and water masses have a low heat transfer capacity and so do not warm and cool as fast as the land. In winter they are warmer as they have only just warmed from summer, in summer this is reversed. Therefore, in Winter, land masses that are close to oceans such as the UK are warmer because of their warming influence. In contrast, during summer the UK experiences colder than average temperatures. This also affects on a local scale in terms of how inland an area is

Question 20

How does continentality affect the wind conditions of a climate?

Answer 20

Coastal regions are more subject to the ocean winds because of the lack of interception before they reach land.

Question 21

How does continentality affect the precipitation of a climate?

Answer 21

The convergence of temperature varying air masses means that air is uplifted and causes precipitation

Question 22

How does urbanisation affect climate?

Answer 22

Urban Heat Islands

Question 23

What is aspect?

Answer 23

The way that land is sloped against the sun’s rays

Question 24

How does aspect affect climate?

Answer 24

Areas that are shaded by the sun’s rays are less able to receive the light and heat energy and so their climate is different to an area that is always angled as the sun

Question 25

How does the Jet Stream affect climate?

Answer 25

It can fast track weather systems between different areas depending upon their seasonal position. For example in summer the PFJS is more north and so allows for anticyclones to dominate the UK weather