Theme 2 Chapter 3 - Weather and Climate Flashcards
What is the difference between weather and climate?
Weather: the study of the day to day conditions of the atmosphere over a place
Climate: Measure of the prevailing weather conditions over a long period time.
What are the 7 features of weather, definitions and what equipment measures them?
1) Temperature: the measure of how hot something is - thermometre
2) Wind speed: How fast the wind is going - anemometer
3) Wind direction: The direction the wind is coming from - weather vane
4) Cloud coverage: how much sky is covered in clouds - using eye
5) Precipitation: how much rain, sleet, snow or hail there is
6) Visibility: How far you can see - visibility metre
7) Air pressure: How heavy the air is - barometres in millibars
What climate describes the Uk?
Temperate maritime
Temperate: Has 4 seasons
Maritime: surrounded by sea
How does altitude affect Uk temperature?
Altitude: The higher the colder as there are less particles and air is less dense higher up therefore there is less particles absorbing heat
The lower the warmer as the air is more dense and there are more particles absorbing heat
How does Latitude affect Uk temperature?
The temperature decreases the more north in UK and temperature increases towards the south of Uk as it is closer to the equator and receives more concentrated sun rays
How does Aspect affect Uk temperature?
All surfaces facing south in UK are warmer as they receive the suns rays more as they face sun
How do different directions of air masses affect temperature and precipitation in the UK?
1) Arctic maritime (From arctic): cold and wet weather
2) Polar maritime(From iceland and greenland): cold and wet
3) Polar continental (From siberia): Cold and dry
4) Tropical continental (From north africa): Warm and dry
5) Tropical maritime (From Mexico): Warm and wet
What is a jetstream and where does it form? Why?
The jetstream is a ribbon of very strong wind 5-7 miles above Earth’s surface
Only forms in Northern hemisphere as it is created when warm air (risen from equator) and cold air (dropping from the Arctic) meet.
What kind of weather does the jetstream bring over the UK?
JET STREAM ABOVE UK: Uk engulfed in warm air so it is slightly warmer - no low pressure
JETSTREAM ON THE UK: Low pressure conditions (rainy, cloudy and windy) under jetstream as when warm and cold air meet, warm air continues to rise
JETSTREAM BELOW THE UK: Uk engulfed in cool air so slightly cooler temperatures - no low pressure
What are the 6 different types of climates on Earth?
Tundra Taiga Grassland/Savannah/Semi-arid Desert Tropical rainforest Temperate
How does latitude affect Earth’s climates?
At latitude 0 (the equator) the Earth is closer to the sun so it receives more concentrated sun rays and is warmer
Further away from the equator the sun rays are more spread out and lack energy as the Earth is furthest from the sun at these places so they are colder
What is the difference between Low and high pressure days?
Low: Warm air has risen resulting in low pressure. There will be rain, wind and clouds
High: Cold air has fallen resulting in high pressure. There will be no rain, no wind or no clouds
Why are deserts so close to tropical rainforests?
Due to the Hadley Cell
1) Warm air is constantly rising at the equator resulting in low pressure conditions at equator (rainy, windy, cloudy) - rainforest
2) As warm air rises it begins to cool due to altitude and splits
3) The colder air is heavier so it begins to fall on the tropic of capricorn and cancer resulting in high pressure conditions there (no rain, no wind, no clouds) - deserts
What are the features of semiarid and tropical climates?
Semi arid - warm and dry
Tropical rainforest - warm and wet
What conditions can high pressure systems (Anticyclones) cause in summer and winter?
SUMMER:
- Heatwave conditions: due to lack of clouds the sun’s rays beat down on Earth causing hot temperatures without clouds acting as a barrier
WINTER:
Frosty and Freezing conditions: Due to lack of clouds heat escapes into the atmosphere as it isn’t insulated by clouds
