Large Scale Patterns Flashcards
how does climate determine large scale patterns?
climate determines the distribution of different types of communities across earth.
what are the large scale climate patterns?
weather
climate
what is weather?
description of physical condition of atmosphere (moisture, temperature, wind, pressure).
what is climate?
long-term pattern of weather in a particular area.
what does the tilt of the earth and rotation around its axis affect?
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.
what does the earth’s rotation affect?
winds at high pressure cells @ earth’s surface to circulate to the north/south.
What is solar radiation?
electromagnetic energy.
what does a short wavelength cause?
higher energy
the hotter an object is…
the shorter wavelengths of energy emitted.
some energy that reaches earth reflects back into the atmosphere. Where does that energy go?
- some is reflected into the atmosphere by gases: carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane.
- some is absorbed by the earth’s surface.
why do tropical regions have greater heating than other places?
*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.
what happened to air that expands from the equator and looses much of its moisture?
it sinks @ 30 degrees Celsius and increases water-holding capacity and soaks cup and available water.
what happens (-) or (+) 30 degrees Celsius?
turns into deserts.
what happens to cold air from poles and warm air at 30 altitude?
picks up moisture and clash over 30-60 degrees latitude creating wet environments as a result of air cooling and descending.
what influences climate from the ocean?
ocean currents.
what influences ocean currents?
temperature, earth rotation, wind, salinity, seafloor Typograph.
what affects air masses and terrestrial rainfall patterns?
ocean currents
air over cold weather holds little moisture, what happens to it?
As it moves over inland, it rains.
air over warm weather holds more moisture, what happens to it?
as it moves over inland, it becomes drier.
what terrestrial objects affect climate?
mountain ranges
what is the rain shadow effect?
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.
what causes biomes?
combinations of solar radiation, winds, ocean currents, and mountains.
How are biomes (large regions of land) characterized?
-habitat conditions (climate, rainfall, temperature)
-distinct soil
-community structure
-specific latitude/ elevation.
what creates variation in biomes?
small scale patterns in conditions and resource of topography.
how does topography affect biomes?
travels in elevation has the same effect of North-South poles distance between.
what influences soil types?
-source of stored water
-reserve of mineral nutrients.
-biological fixation of atrophic nitrogen.
-structural support.
how does soil type variate?
in the rate of decomposition of organic matter.
how is homogenous material caused?
topography, soil, organisms, and past disturbances.
what does the open ocean cause?
forms a continuum in which there is a clear flow of water and dissolved chemicals across the globe.
what does the open ocean cause?
forms a continuum in which there is a clear flow of water and dissolved chemicals across the globe.
what does the open ocean cause?
forms a continuum in which there is a clear flow of water and dissolved chemicals across the globe.
where are general ocean patterns the most clear?
at the surface.
what does a high thermal capacity mean?
slow to heat/cool.
how are lakes classified?
stratification- distinct layers of water at particular temperatures.
water chemical composition
what are stream’s predictable patterns caused by?
local vegetation.
how might the composition of communities change over time?
as conditions and resources change.
Pleistocene ice age is primarily responsible for present patterns of distribution of organism
- in the last 20,000 years, the climate has risen 8°C
- many species still continue to migrate towards the poles
