Social studies - 2 Flashcards
Define climate?
Long term pattern of weather in a particular area
Define weather?
State of atmosphere
Define latitude?
Measurement of distance north or south of equator
Define altitude?
The height of an object or structure above a reference level, usually above sea level or the Earth’s surface.
What is relief rainfall?
Relief or orographic rainfall is formed when air is forced to cool when it rises over hills or mountains. As it rises it cools, condenses and forms rain.
what is frontal rainfall?
when warm air and cool air meet each other. Warm air is lighter than cool air. So, the warm air rises above the cool air.
What is convectional rainfall?
Convectional rainfall occurs when the heated air from the earth’s surface rises upwards along with the water vapour and gets condensed when it reaches a higher altitude
What is a rainshadow?
A rain shadow is an area of land that lies behind a mountain which gets almost no rainfall.
What is a tropical climate?
A tropical climate is a type of climate typical in the tropics and is quite humid or very hot.
What is a temperate climate?
A temperate climate has some cold weather, and some hot weather.
What is a polar or artic climate?
A polar climate consists of cool summers and very cold winters
What is the greenhouse affect?
The greenhouse effect is a process that occurs when gases in Earth’s atmosphere trap the Sun’s heat.
What is global warming?
Global warming is the long-term heating of Earth’s surface observed
What is El nino?
El nino is the warming of the ocean surface, or above-average sea surface temperatures, in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.
What is cyclone and anticyclone?
Cyclone is low pressure and anticylcone is high pressure
What is a continental climate?
a climate characterized by hot summers, cold winters, and little rainfall, typical of the interior of a continent.
What is maritime climate?
Maritime climate is climatic characteristics are conditioned by their position close to a sea or an ocean
Define Cyclone Gabrielle
Severe tropical cyclone that hit mainly the north of NZ.
What does a key on a weather map tell you?
What symbols on a map mean
What does the letters H and L stand for on a weather map?
The area of High and Low pressure
What does a cold front symbol look like and mean and give and example?
Blue line with triangles, and shows a cold front. Snowstorms.
What does a warm front symbol look like and mean and give an example?
Red line with semi circles, and shows a warm front. Thunderstorms.
What does and occluded front look like and mean?
Purple/pink line of semi circles and triangles, the warm air mass pushes into the cold air mass and the cold air mass pushes into the warm air mass.
What does and stationary front look like and mean?
Blue and red line with semi circles and triangles pointing in different directions, it forms when two air masses meet and stop moving.
