paper 1 : 1.2 weather hazards and climate change Flashcards
where is there more solar radiation/heat
equator and less at the poles
name three circulation cells and their latitudes
hadley 0-30
ferrel 30-60
polar 60-90
what does the air do at the equator, what type of pressure and where does the air travel
what does it do, what kind of pressure does it create.
at the equator warm air rises forming low pressure (causing rain). the air cools, diverges and moves 30 north and south of the equator where the now cooler and dry air sinks to form high pressure (deserts)
what does the air at 30 degrees north/south do
some of the cool air moves back towards the equator (trade winds), the rest travels to the lower part of the ferrel cell to 60 north/south of the equator
what happens to the air at 60 degrees north/south
at 60, the warm air meets the cold polar air. the warmer air rises (forming low pressure and causing rainfall) and travels towards the poles. the now cold dry air sinks at the poles forming high pressure
what weather is caused by low pressure
rainy
what weather is caused by high pressure
sunny/settled
how is high pressure created
cold air sinks
how is low pressure created
warm air rises
what weather is caused when warm air rises
rainy
what weather is caused when cold air sinks
sunny/settled
do ocean currents transfer heat from the equator- yes or no?
yes
what do surface currents do
they transfer warmer water towards the poles where dense salty water sinks.
what do deeper ocean currents do
they move colder water back towards the equator.
name one ocean current that prevents the poles form becoming too cold and the equator from becoming too hot
the north atlantic drift
what time period are we in
quaternary period
what epoch are we in
holocene
what are cold periods in time called and how long do they last
glaciels
100,000 years each
what are warm periods in time called and how long do they last
inter-glaciels
15,000 years each
we are currently in an interglaciel
name 3 milankovitch cycles and what are they
- precession- as the earth rotates, it wobbles slightly upon it’s rotational axis, the wobbles causing currents
- axial tilt- the greater the tilt of the earth’s axis the greater the angle causing colder winters.
- eccentricity- the orbit of the earth changes from being round to oval causing glaciels and interglaciels.
how does solar variation affect temperatures.
higher levels of solar radiation cause inter-glaciel periods whereas low cause glaciels.
how does volcanic eruption affect temperatures
eruptions emit ash and dust into the atmosphere blocking out the sun’s rays causing the temperatures to fall.
name evidences for climate change
- fossilised animals
- ice cores
- pollen
- cave paintings
- tree rings
- bodies in greenland
- pic of frozen thames
what is the greenhouse effect
the sun’s rays being trapped in the earth’s atmosphere
what is enhanced greenhouse effect
the sun’s rays enters the earth’s atmosphere warming up the surface and when it is reflected off the surface it is trapped as the layer of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is thick, this causes the earth to heat up
how does industry lead to enhanced green house effect
burning fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) to produce consumer goods
how does energy lead to enhanced green house effect
electricity produced from fossil fuel for a growing population
how does farming lead to enhanced green house effect
a growing demand for more meat increases methane levels
how does transport lead to enhanced green house effect
increased car ownership and air travel increases emissions
negative impacts of climate change on the environment
rising sea levels
from melting sheets and glaciers could cause the gulf stream to move furthur south, cooling temperatures in western europe.
negative impacts of climate change on the environment
coastal flooding
coastal flooding could contaminate ecosystems with sea water
negative impacts of climate change on the environment
retreating glaciers
retreating glaciers contribute to rising sea levels.
negative impacts of climate change on the people
unreliable rainfall
2 reasons
unreliable rainfal in regions such as sahel (africa) could cause:
- droughts
- lower crop yield
- food shortages
negative impacts of climate change on the people
rising sea levels
flood risk in low lying places like the maldives will be flooded and it will affect the tourism and the local income/jobs for the local people, it could force people to leave, lose their homes and livelihoods.
a period that has increased solar radiation
medieval warm period- higher temperatures mean greater crop yield
a period due loads of volcanic activity
little ice age(1600s)- temperatures were cold enough to freeze the River Thames
what type of winters and summers does north-west britain have
mild, cold or warm
mild winters and mild summers