Topic 1-Hazardous Earth Flashcards
Low air pressure
Unstable, rain, cool condense cloud (CCC), rising air.
High air pressure
Stable, air sinking, no rain, blue skies
During Global atmospheric circulation what drives global circulation with intense heating
The equator
What type of air rises from the equator
Hot air, it’s less dense
What happens at 30° N and S
The air sinks causing high air pressure
What happens during the Coriolis effect
It causes trade winds to curve and it effects the rotation of the earth.
What happens to air at the poles?
The air sinks because it’s cold (low air pressure)
What type of air pressure is it at 60° N
Low Air pressure
ITCZ stands for
Inter tropical convergence zone
What does the ITCZ do?
Migrate north in summer and south in winter. It brings areas North and South of the equator a rainy season, when it migrates away it becomes a dry season.
If the ITCZ was in the south it would bring?
Cloudy, bad weather due to the low pressure.
What do ocean currents do?
Transfer heat around the globe.
What are ocean currents powered by?
Some by winds, others by density differences due to differences in the water temperature
What does the Gulf Stream bring to the UK
It brings warmth, this is why we have mild winters.
Jet-streams are?
Very strong winds, in the high part of the atmosphere
What meets what to cause jet-streams?
Cold air meets warm air
Why are jet-streams strongest in winter?
The contrast between the hot and cold air.
What do jet-streams bring to the UK?
Low pressure systems
Fluctuated means?
Rise and fall irregularly in number of amount
The higher the temperature, the more ? do you get
C02
What happens to the atmosphere if there is too much CO2?
It creates a screen, keeping the suns heat in, heating up the earth.
Eruption changes the earths climate by?
When it erupts it produces ash and sulphur dioxide. If it rises enough into the atmosphere it can change the earths temperature
What would happen if an asteroid hit the earth?
Millions of tonnes of ash and dust would go into the atmosphere and it would cool the earth and the sun may be blocked from coming in.
What are sunspots?
Black areas on the suns surface. The more dots = the more active the sun is = more solar energy being fired out towards earth
