Large Scale Patterns

Question 1

how does climate determine large scale patterns?

Answer 1

climate determines the distribution of different types of communities across earth.

Question 2

what are the large scale climate patterns?

Answer 2

weather
climate

Question 3

what is weather?

Answer 3

description of physical condition of atmosphere (moisture, temperature, wind, pressure).

Question 4

what is climate?

Answer 4

long-term pattern of weather in a particular area.

Question 5

what does the tilt of the earth and rotation around its axis affect?

Answer 5

It causes differential heating of our daily and annual cycles because it causes long-term patterns of rainfall and solar radiation that define patterns of global climate.

Question 6

what does the earth’s rotation affect?

Answer 6

winds at high pressure cells @ earth’s surface to circulate to the north/south.

Question 7

What is solar radiation?

Answer 7

electromagnetic energy.

Question 8

what does a short wavelength cause?

Answer 8

higher energy

Question 9

the hotter an object is…

Answer 9

the shorter wavelengths of energy emitted.

Question 10

some energy that reaches earth reflects back into the atmosphere. Where does that energy go?

Answer 10

• some is reflected into the atmosphere by gases: carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane.
• some is absorbed by the earth’s surface.

Question 11

why do tropical regions have greater heating than other places?

Answer 11

*equator= titled towards sun and gets direct sunlight and warmer than other latitudes.
*warm air holds more moisture than cold air, increasing water holding capacity of air around the tropics.
*solar radiation draws water from vegetation, but then air saturates and water condenses and falls.

Question 12

what happened to air that expands from the equator and looses much of its moisture?

Answer 12

it sinks @ 30 degrees Celsius and increases water-holding capacity and soaks cup and available water.

Question 13

what happens (-) or (+) 30 degrees Celsius?

Answer 13

turns into deserts.

Question 14

what happens to cold air from poles and warm air at 30 altitude?

Answer 14

picks up moisture and clash over 30-60 degrees latitude creating wet environments as a result of air cooling and descending.

Question 15

what influences climate from the ocean?

Answer 15

ocean currents.

Question 16

what influences ocean currents?

Answer 16

temperature, earth rotation, wind, salinity, seafloor Typograph.

Question 17

what affects air masses and terrestrial rainfall patterns?

Answer 17

ocean currents

Question 18

air over cold weather holds little moisture, what happens to it?

Answer 18

As it moves over inland, it rains.

Question 19

air over warm weather holds more moisture, what happens to it?

Answer 19

as it moves over inland, it becomes drier.

Question 20

what terrestrial objects affect climate?

Answer 20

mountain ranges

Question 21

what is the rain shadow effect?

Answer 21

cool air holds less moisture so that water is releases as rain or snow on the windward slope of a mountain. As the air pushes over the leeward sides of a mountain, the air descends, becomes warm, and absorbs water.

Question 22

what causes biomes?

Answer 22

combinations of solar radiation, winds, ocean currents, and mountains.

Question 23

How are biomes (large regions of land) characterized?

Answer 23

-habitat conditions (climate, rainfall, temperature)
-distinct soil
-community structure
-specific latitude/ elevation.

Question 24

what creates variation in biomes?

Answer 24

small scale patterns in conditions and resource of topography.

Question 25

how does topography affect biomes?

Answer 25

travels in elevation has the same effect of North-South poles distance between.

Question 26

what influences soil types?

Answer 26

-source of stored water
-reserve of mineral nutrients.
-biological fixation of atrophic nitrogen.
-structural support.

Question 27

how does soil type variate?

Answer 27

in the rate of decomposition of organic matter.

Question 28

how is homogenous material caused?

Answer 28

topography, soil, organisms, and past disturbances.

Question 29

what does the open ocean cause?

Answer 29

forms a continuum in which there is a clear flow of water and dissolved chemicals across the globe.

Question 29

what does the open ocean cause?

Answer 29

forms a continuum in which there is a clear flow of water and dissolved chemicals across the globe.

Question 30

what does the open ocean cause?

Answer 30

forms a continuum in which there is a clear flow of water and dissolved chemicals across the globe.

Question 31

where are general ocean patterns the most clear?

Answer 31

at the surface.

Question 32

what does a high thermal capacity mean?

Answer 32

slow to heat/cool.

Question 33

how are lakes classified?

Answer 33

stratification- distinct layers of water at particular temperatures.
water chemical composition

Question 34

what are stream’s predictable patterns caused by?

Answer 34

local vegetation.

Question 35

how might the composition of communities change over time?

Answer 35

as conditions and resources change.

Question 36

Pleistocene ice age is primarily responsible for present patterns of distribution of organism

Answer 36

• in the last 20,000 years, the climate has risen 8°C
• many species still continue to migrate towards the poles