Test 1

Question 1

examples of open systems

Answer 1

rivers, bodies of water, leaves

Question 2

examples of closed systems

Answer 2

experiment where a tube has a cap on, earth in some ways

Question 3

what are some factors that cause the seasons?

Answer 3

revolution around the sun, rotation on its axis, axial tilt, axial parallelism, sphericity

Question 4

how does earth’s axis tilt cause the seasons?

Answer 4

the amount of daylight depends on where the earth is on the orbit around the sun

Question 5

what is the atmosphere made up of

Answer 5

air, which is a mix of N2, O2, and other gasses

Question 6

How thick is the atmosphere?

Answer 6

about 480km to the thermopause

Question 7

what are the atmospheric layers by composition?

Answer 7

heterosphere (80km-480km) and Homosphere (0-80km)

Question 8

What are the atmosphere layers by temperature?

Answer 8

Troposphere (0-12km), statosphere (15-50km), mesosphere (50-80km) and thermosphere (80-480km)

Question 9

what are the atmospheric layers by function?

Answer 9

Ionosphere (50km and out - absorbs cosmic rays, gamma rays, X-rays, some UV rays) and Ozonosphere (19km to 50km - absorbs UV and converts it to heat)

Question 10

How does energy make it from the atmosphere to the surface?

Answer 10

scatters in all direction (some heads towards earth), absorbed by molecules, and transmitted to the earth surface

Question 11

What is insolation?

Answer 11

solar radiation that reaches a horizontal plane at earth (incoming solar radiation)

Question 12

What controls temperature?

Answer 12

Latitude, altitude (air cools with height), cloud coverage (low thick clouds = cooling, high thin clouds = warming)

Question 13

what causes world temperature patterns?

Answer 13

latitude, coastal-interior contrasts, and elevation

Question 14

what are the steps to the water cycle?

Answer 14

evaporation and transpiration, cloud formation, precipitation, infiltration into soil, recharge of groundwater, and runoff

Question 15

what controls the speed and direction of wind?

Answer 15

pressure gradient force, Coriolis force, and friction force

Question 16

what is pressure gradient force (wind)?

Answer 16

when two adjacent regions have different pressure, air moves from high pressure areas to low pressure areas

Question 17

what is Coriolis force (wind)?

Answer 17

force due to the rotation of the earth, it deflects to the right in NH and to the left in SH

Question 18

what is friction force (wind)?

Answer 18

wind speed is lowest at surface of the earth due to friction between the air and surface

Question 19

what are some important pressure cells?

Answer 19

hadley, ferrel, and polar cells

Question 20

what is a hadley cell?

Answer 20

the closest cell to the equator, surface winds are called trade winds, clear skies, low pressure so lighter air

Question 21

what is a ferrel cell?

Answer 21

30-60 latitude, air sinks at 30 and moves towards the poles, produces westerlies at the surface

Question 22

what is the ITCZ

Answer 22

Intertropical convergence zone - air is rising and there is weak pressure gradient so little wind

Question 23

global wind and pressure patterns?

Answer 23

ITCZ, polar high pressure cells, subtropical high pressure cells, subpolar low pressure cells, broad pressure areas in northern and southern hemisphere

Question 24

what are jet streams?

Answer 24

an irregular and concentrated westerly wind (high in troposphere)

Question 25

what are some local and regional winds?

Answer 25

land-sea breezes, mountain-valley breeze, monsoonal winds, and katabatic winds (gravity driven wind)

Question 26

what are the primary ocean forces?

Answer 26

solar heating (water expansion), winds, Coriolis, and gravity

Question 27

what is thermohaline circulation?

Answer 27

differences in temperature and salinity produce density differences and create deep-ocean circulation

Question 28

what is walker circulation?

Answer 28

normal conditions oceanic and atmospheric circulation between southern America and Australia

Question 29

what is and what causes ENSO?

Answer 29

El nino southern circulation, caused by higher pressure over western pacific, lower pressure over eastern pacific, weakened trade winds, and southern oscillations

Question 30

What does ENSO cause?

Answer 30

climate extremes, droughts in Africa, India, Australia and Philippines, heavy rain in S America and southern US, strong pacific hurricanes, and less snow in waterloo

Question 31

what does La niña cause

Answer 31

wetter conditions in indonesia, S pacific, and Brazil, stronger hurricanes in atlantic, more snow in waterloo