Sustainability, Climate & Weather

Question 1

What are the factors affecting climate?

Answer 1

Latitude, ocean currents, winds & air masses, elevation, relief, nearness to water

Question 2

What is latitude?

Answer 2

How far north or south of the equator you are.

Question 3

What is one thing that latitude will determine?Why?

Answer 3

How warm or cold it is. Further away from equator - cooler because the sun’s rays will have a larger surface area.

Question 4

What angle is the Earth tilted at? What is this called?

Answer 4

23.5°, the Coriolis Effect.

Question 5

How are seasons related to the earth’s tilt?

Answer 5

In the summer, the sun is shining more on the Northern hemisphere. In the winter, it is shining more on the Southern hemisphere

Question 6

What 3 major ocean currents is Canada affected by?/

Answer 6

North Pacific Drift, Gulf Stream, Labrador Current

Question 7

What temperature is the North Pacific Drift and what does it do?

Answer 7

Warm, moderates temperatures on the B.C. coast

Question 8

What temperature is the Gulf Stream and what does it do?

Answer 8

Warm, moderates maritime climate

Question 9

What temperature is the Labrador Current and what does it do?

Answer 9

Cold, creates foggy conditions on East Coast

Question 10

What are air masses?

Answer 10

large air bodieswith same moisture and temperatureconditions throughout

Question 11

Whether an air mass is warm or cold depends on where it _____

Answer 11

originates

Question 12

What are air masses influenced by?

Answer 12

Jet streams

Question 13

What are winds created by?

Answer 13

Differences in air pressure

Question 14

The lower the air pressure, the ____ (better/worse) the weather gets

Answer 14

worse

Question 15

Jet streams are zones of what?

Answer 15

Fast moving air

Question 16

Which jet stream is Canada affected by?

Answer 16

Polar Jet Stream

Question 17

What happens in high pressure areas?

Answer 17

Air heating as it rises, cools, condenses, and falls

Question 18

What happens in low pressure areas?

Answer 18

Air cooling as it sinks

Question 19

Temperature _____ (decreases/increases) as altitude increases.

Answer 19

decreases

Question 20

As air rises it expands, and _____ (gains/loses) heat.

Answer 20

loses

Question 21

What is the rate of heat loss for every 100m up you go?

Answer 21

1 degree, 0.6 with condensation (water holds the heat)

Question 22

Cold air descending eastern Rocky foothills towards Calgary becomes warm and dry, called “______” winds

Answer 22

Chinook

Question 23

What is relief?

Answer 23

Differences in elevation of land

Question 24

Mountains act as what to air masses?

Answer 24

Barriers

Question 25

Water heats up and cools ____ times slower than air

Answer 25

five

Question 26

What is the lake effect?

Answer 26

Warming effect in winter, cooling effect in summer.

Question 27

What is a continental climate? Is its annual temperature range large or small? High or low precipitation?

Answer 27

A climate type that develops away from the ocean. High annual temperature range. Low precipitation.

Question 28

What is a maritime climate? Is its annual temperature range large or small? High or low precipitation?

Answer 28

A climate type that is strongly influenced by its nearness to the ocean. Small annual temperature range. High precipitation.

Question 29

What is a front? What is the difference between a warm front and a cold front?

Answer 29

the boundary between two different air masses. warm fronts are warm air moving into cold air. vice versa for cold fronts

Question 30

Cold fronts can create heavy ______.

Answer 30

precipitation

Question 31

What direction does the Polar Jet Stream move in?

Answer 31

West to East.

Question 32

What is convectional precipitation? When does it occur and what is the process?

Answer 32

On hot summer days heated land warms air and makes it rise (convection). It cools and condenses into thunder clouds. Rain or hail may fall from them.

Question 33

What is relief precipitation?

Answer 33

When an air mass rises and cools because of a mountain barrier. Precipitation occurs.

Question 34

What is cyclonic precipitation?

Answer 34

when a warm, moist air mass is forced to rise by a cool, dry air mass.