Lesson one - Weather & Climate

Question 1

What is Weather?

Answer 1

• The conditions of temperature, air pressure, cloud cover, precipitation, humidity, etc that occur at a particular place and a particular time
• Short term

Question 2

What is Climate?

Answer 2

•the average weather conditions of a region over a long time (at least 30 years)

•Long term

Question 3

What do Weather and Climate result from?

Answer 3

Interactions between different parts of our biosphere.

Question 4

Biosphere

Answer 4

• thin layer of Earth where the interactions between biotic and abiotic components provide conditions suitable for supporting life

Question 5

What is the Biosphere made up of?

Answer 5

• It is made up of three interacting parts: hydrosphere, lithosphere, atmosphere

Question 6

Atmosphere

Answer 6

• A layer of gases that surround the earth (air)
• extends 500 km above
Earths surface
• Absorbs a portion of
UV radiation
• Helps to moderate the Earths temperatures.

Question 7

What is the Atmosphere mostly composed of?

Answer 7

78% Nitrogen - for plant growth
21% Oxygen - for photosynthesis and cellular respiration.

Question 8

Troposphere

Answer 8

Troposphere - closest to the surface, contains most of the gases, living organisms and atmospheric dust.

Question 9

Stratosphere

Answer 9

Stratosphere - contains the ozone layer, protects the earth by absorbing UV radiation.

Question 10

Mesosphere

Answer 10

Mesosphere - coldest layer, where meteorites burn up.

Question 11

Thermosphere

Answer 11

Thermosphere - outer/hottest layer, location of the aurora horaalic where catallites arhit

Question 12

GREENHOUSE GASES

Answer 12

• Found in the Troposphere.
• absorbs some of the thermal energy transmitted by the earth and refled the energy back to Earth, keeping us warm.

Question 13

What gases contribute to the greenhouse effect?

Answer 13

Nitrous Oxide, Water vapour, methane, carbon dioxide

Question 14

Lithosphere

Answer 14

• Includes the crust and the uppermost mantle
• Life exists several km below earth’s surface

Question 15

HYDROSPHERE

Answer 15

• All the water on earth is found in all three forms, solid, liquid, and vapor (in the atmosphere)
• 97% salt water,
3% fresh water (mostly ice, 2%: glaciers,
polar ice
• The amount of water on earth is constant

Question 16

Climate is impacted by where on the biosphere it’s found- take into account its

Answer 16

• Altitude (distance above sea level)
• Solar Radiation (insolation)
• Angle of incidence and inclination
• Proximately to large bodies of water
• Latitude and Longitude (distance from the equator)
• Albedo

Question 17

Solar radiation

Answer 17

• radiant energy directed at the earth by the sun.
• Consists of electromagnetic waves, including visible light.

Question 18

Solar Radiation - Bet radiation budget

Answer 18

Net Radiation Budget:
• Earth’s net radiation is the balance between incoming and outgoing energy at the top of the atmosphere

Question 19

Solar Radiation- Energy levels leave two ways.

Answer 19

• Reflection by clouds, aerosols, or the Earth’s surface
• Thermal radiation by the surface or atmosphere

Question 20

Net budget formula

Answer 20

Net budget = Energy gain - Energy loss
*Global average net radiation must be close to zero over the course of a year

Question 21

Solar Radiation - Insolation

Answer 21

• Insolation is determined by the angle at which the sun’s solar radiation strikes the earths surface.
• The smaller the angle (equator) the more concentrated the radiation/insolation

Question 22

Angle of inclination

Answer 22

• the degree by which Earth’s poles (north & south) are tilted perpendicular of the plane of its orbit
• Earth has an angle of inclination of 23.5°

Question 23

Longitude

Answer 23

• Longitude refers to horizontal lines (meridians) that run between the poles, east and west of the prime meridian in England.
• Used to determine earths time zones.

Question 24

Latitude

Answer 24

• Earth is divided into latitudes that are imaginary lines that run parallel to the equator
• The equator is at latitude 0°, and the poles are at latitudes 90° N and S

Question 25

SOLSTICE

Answer 25

• Solstice is when the earth’s poles are tilted directly toward or away from the sun.

Question 26

Summer/ Winter solstice dates

Answer 26

Northern Hemisphere
• Summer Solstice - June 21t
, the longest day/most sunlight
• Winter Solstice - Dec. 21st, the shortest day/least sunlight

Question 27

Equinox

Answer 27

• Equinox - when daylight hours equal hours of night.
(equi = equal) (nox = night)

• Spring - March 21

• Autumn - Sept 21

Question 28

ANGLE OF INCIDENCE

Answer 28

• The angle between a ray falling on a surface and the line perpendicular to that surface

Question 29

ALBEDO

Answer 29

• Light from the sun is either absorbed and converted to heat, or reflected back to space
• Albedo is a measure of how much light is reflected by a surface