lecture 5

Question 1

what does the coriolis effect help us with?

Answer 1

• Helps us understand why we see the directs/ patterns of air movement
  Describes how air, water, or another object moves over a rotating surface

Question 2

what level does the coriolis effect occur at

Answer 2

Surface level - what we feel at sea level, not atmospheric level

Question 3

why does coriolis effect have an impact?

Answer 3

• Earths diameter - greater at the equator than the poles
  
  • Earth is rotating faster at equator bc of diameter than the poles

Question 4

how does coriolis impact air and water at equator

Answer 4

Air/water at the equator (moving toward poles) has higher radial velocity than region into which it is moving and accelerates eastward

Question 5

ow does coriolis impact air and water at poles

Answer 5

• Air/water at poles (moving towards equator) has less radial velocity than where it is headed and deflected westward

Question 6

how does coriolis impact winds from poles to equator

Answer 6

• Air deflects/ descends once it hits 30 degree latitude
  ○ As it goes down it goes from the pole where air is moving slowly, to the equator where it is moving faster - that’s why we see deflection

Question 7

Average surface windflow patterns?

Answer 7

• Low in jan, high in july
  ○ Reflects the amount of solar heat
  
  • Relatively consistent averages

Question 8

how is ocean structured? what results in thermocline

Answer 8

• Relatively stable vertical layers (limited mixing)
  
  • Sun heats ocean from the top - results in Thermocline
  • Sharp temp gradient between warm surface water and cooler intermediate waters

Question 9

describe halocline

Answer 9

• Halocline
  ○ Salinity gradient b/w less saline surface water and more saline intermediate water
  ○ It starts low and gets higher as you get deeper
  ○ Liquid water is denser
  ○ Water with more salt is heavier
  Arctic waters can have higher salt bc of the ice

Question 10

what do thermocline + halocline cause?

Answer 10

• Thermocline + halocline = pycnocline (gradient in water density)
  ○ Cold water = higher density
  ○ More saline water = higher density
  Layering more pronounced in tropical waters

Question 11

why is water mixing important?

Answer 11

• Deep layers
  ○ Mix slowly with surface water thousands of years)
  ○ Critical in element cycling, productivity, climate
  ○ Long-term sinks for C and sources of nutrients- ocean productivity
  Nutrients build up at the bottom of the ocean bc of dead matter falling + decomp

Question 12

describe upwelling

Answer 12

• Where nutrient rich deep water moves rapidly to the surface
  
  • Support high levels of 1 and 2 degree productivity (think fertilizer)
  • Location of many of the world’s fisheries

Question 13

what does ocean circulation play a role in?

Answer 13

• Ocean circulation plays a critical role in earth’s climate system
  High heat capacity moderates land temperatures
  ○ Ex. Ocean can keep areas in canada warm (despite the cold) bc of the depth and the heat capacity
  ○ Chances the habitat
  Accounts for 40% of poleward heat transport

Question 14

what drives surface currents? patterns similar to? deflected at?

Answer 14

• Surface currents- driven by surface winds
  ○ Patterns similar to those of prevailing winds
  Deflected 20-40 degrees relative to the wind - coriolis effect

Question 15

landform impacts on climate?

Answer 15

• Spatial distribution of land, water, and mountains modify the general latitudinal climate trends
  
  • Ocean moderation of costal land temperatures

Question 16

how do mountains impact climate

Answer 16

○ Climate changes with elevation
○ Multiple biomes found on single mountains
○ Exposure aspect and slope
Rain shadows
* Range created by the mountains - change in aspect (light exposure) created by mountains

Question 17

describe rainshadows

Answer 17

• Areas of low precipitation on the leeward side of a mountain (down wind)
  
  • Air has to go over mountains to move - results in the air cooling
  • As it loses moisture, air becomes warmer on the other side
    ○ Higher precip. On the side of the mountain where the air is rising

Question 18

why can we find diversity on mountains?

Answer 18

Can find lots of diversity on mountains bc of this gradient/ range of habitats for organisms to use within a smaller area

Question 19

• • Vegetative effects on climate? what is albedo

Answer 19

• Abiotic and biotic factors impact the climate
  
  • Albedo- reflection of light on surfaced based on color
    ○ Vegetation reflects more light than bare ground
    as plants grow and change the reflectivity of the surface, it changes the climate

Question 20

what is the primary force responsible for temporal variation

Answer 20

• Primary force responsible for the temporal variation in earths climate is changes in solar radiation

Question 21

what scales does variation in climate occur at?

Answer 21

• Variation in climate occurs at a range of temporal scales:
  ○ Long term changes: variations in earths orbit - responsible for the ice ages
  ○ Interannual change: e.g. El Nino
  ○ Short term change: seasonal and diurnal cycles
  ○ Now seeing human induced changes on a long term scale - climate change

Question 22

describe long term changes to climate

Answer 22

ng term changes:
○ Mainly due to predictable changes in eath’s orbit
○ Milankovitch cycles

Question 23

what are Milankovitch cycles? describe each

Answer 23

§ Eccentricity changes (change in orbit shape/width) - cyclic interaction stemming from earth’s interactions with other planets (not just the sun)
§ Changes in obliquity ( tilt)
§ Changes in axial precession (wobble) 26,000 yr cycle - if humans are changing the distribution of ice, then the process of wobble is impacted
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Question 24

what do milankovitch cycles impact

Answer 24

Interactions among these 3 cycles produces cycles of solar input that correlate with glacial cycles
○ Separate out naturally occurring effects from changes due to human interactions with the environment