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geography > Weather, Climate & Ecosystems > Flashcards

Weather, Climate & Ecosystems Flashcards

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1
Q

what is a Stevenson Screen?

A

a white wooden box with louvres to shelter thermometers from direct heat of the sun and allow air circulation

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2
Q

8 features of a Stevenson Sreen

A
  • screen is painted white so the box can minimise heat absorption and reflect radiation
  • double lid to protect instruments from precipitation. rain could affect temperature or humidity readings
  • door of the screen faces away from the sun
  • away from buildings to avoid any heat or shadows from them
  • slats to allow air to flow through and circulate freely
  • height above ground - at least 1.2 m so it doesn’t receive heat released from ground
  • in the open to ensure air is able to circulate and the screen isnt in the shade. the screen should be twice the distance from an object as the objects height
  • grass surface (albedo) - to avoid reflection from white surfaces or absorption from dark surfaces
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3
Q

how are clouds made?

A
  • the sun has been warming the ground all morning
  • the ground warms the air and temperature rises
  • the warm air rises
  • as the warm air rises, it cools and the water vapour in the air condenses to form clouds
  • the water droplets join together with others and get heavy. they fall as rain
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4
Q

what are the 3 types of clouds

A
  • cumulus
  • stratus
  • cirrus
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5
Q

features of cumulus clouds

A
  • big and fluffy
  • form low in the sky
  • when dark coloured, they bring short, heavy rain showers
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6
Q

features of stratus clouds

A
  • big blankets of dull clouds
  • hang low in the sky
  • cover whole sky
  • give light drizzle but no heavy showers
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7
Q

features of cirrus clouds

A
  • thin and wispy
  • very high up
  • made of ice crystals
  • can mean bad weather is on the way
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8
Q

how to measure cloud cover

A
  • the extent of cloud cover is estimated by eye and expressed in the number of oktas of the sky covered with cloud
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9
Q

how to measure temperature, what instrument to use, the units and how it works

A
  • instrument - maximum-minimum thermometer
  • degrees Celsius
  • placed in a stevenson screen. the left thermometer calculates the minimum temperature and the right calculates the maximum.
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10
Q

how to measure wind speed, what instrument to use, the units and how it works

A
  • instrument - anemometer
  • m/s, km/h, mph, knots
  • placed away from obstacles blocking wind. the cups rotate as the wind blows. the stronger the wind, the faster the rotation. the number of rotations are recorded to give wind speed in km/h
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11
Q

how to measure wind direction, what instrument to use, the units and how it works

A
  • instrument - a wind vane
  • compass direction that the wind comes from
  • placed above a building so now obstacles block wind. it has a tail and a pointer. when the wind blows the arm swings until the pointer faces the wind.
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12
Q

how to measure air pressure, what instrument to use, the units and how it works

A
  • instrument - barometer
  • millibars (mb)
  • contains a small metal cylinder which is a vacuum chamber. a spring in the chamber contracts and expands with change in air pressure which moves a pointer on the scale
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13
Q

how to measure precipitation, what instrument to use, the units and how it works

A
  • instrument - rain gauge
  • millimetres (mm)
  • has a cylindrical container which has a collecting can and a funnel. rainfall is collected in the can and then emptied and measured with a measuring cylinder
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14
Q

how to measure humidity, what instrument to use, the units and how it works

A
  • instrument - hygrometer or wet and dry thermometer
  • %
  • the dry-bulb thermometer records actual air temperature. wet-bulb thermometer has its bulb wrapped in saturated cloth. the humidity is the difference between the two/
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15
Q

how to measure sunshine, what instrument to use, the units and how it works

A
  • pyranometer
  • watts per square meter
  • converts global solar radiation into an electrical signal that can be measured
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16
Q

what is an isoline

A

isoline is a line on a map that joins places of equal value.​

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17
Q

what are isohyets

A

lines joining places with the same rainfall​

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18
Q

what are isotherms

A

lines joining places with the same temperature​

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19
Q

what are isobars

A

lines joining places with the same pressure.

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20
Q

what is a weather front

A

the boundary when two air masses meet

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21
Q

what is relief rainfall and how does it work

A
  • when the mountain causes the air to rise
  1. warm moist air is forced up over the mountain
  2. the air cools and condenses to form clouds
  3. it rains and the air sinks again over the other side of the mountain, warming as it goes
  4. this area is in a rain shadow so it doesn’t get much rain
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22
Q

what is frontal rainfall and how does it work?

A
  • when the air is forced to rise when warm air and cold air come together and meet. (weather front)
  1. cold air travels from one direction until it meets warm air coming the other way
  2. the warm air is forced to rise up over the cold air as it is lighter and because the warm air rises
  3. when the warm air has travelled high enough it reaches the cold air when condensation occurs and clouds form
  4. rain or precipitation occurs
23
Q

what is convectional rainfall and how does it work

A
  • when the rain is causes by very hot weather heating the ground
  1. sun beats down
  2. the ground become very hot and heats the air above it
  3. the hot air rises = evaporates
  4. when it reaches the cool air up in the atmosphere, it condenses to form clouds
  5. it rains - usually hard as this is a quick and intense process
24
Q

6 factors affecting climate

A
  • latitude
  • altitude
  • prevailing winds and air circulations
  • pressure systems
  • distance from the sea
  • ocean currents
25
Q

how does latitude affect climate?

A
  1. the further you get from the equator, the cooler it gets
  2. this is because the earth is curved. the sun rays hitting the earth at a higher latitude are spread over a greater area.
  3. on the equator, rays are concentrated, which is why its so hot
26
Q

how does altitude affect climate?

A
  1. the higher you go, the cooler it gets
  2. temperature drops 1 degree every 100 feet. the sun heats the earths surface and the heat is radiated back up into the atmosphere
  3. the drop is temp is also to do with air pressure. air is less dense in high altitude and isn’t as good at holding heat
27
Q

how does prevailing winds and air circulations affect climate?

A
  1. air rises at the equator as it’s hottest there, making it warm enough to rise
  2. as the air rises, it makes cumulonimbus clouds as it cools down
  3. once cooled it becomes denser and sinks, making high pressure areas with no clouds
28
Q

how do pressure systems affect climate?

A
  • in low pressure systems, the warm air rises making precipitation and cooler temperatures
  • in high pressure systems, the cool air sinks, making clear skies, warm temperatures and humidity
29
Q

how does distance from the sea affect climate

A
  1. oceans heat and cool much slower than land
  2. coastal locations tend to be cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter
30
Q

how do ocean currents affect climate

A
  • warm ocean currents from hotter areas of the world raise temperatures
  • cold ocean currents from polar regions can cool temperatures
  • ocean currents tend to flow in the same direction all year so temperatures are regularly affected by them in the same places
31
Q

what is a desert?

A

a location with less than 250mm of rain per year

32
Q

why do hot deserts have the climate they do?

A

because they are high pressure systems, meaning they don’t have clouds or rain

33
Q

what are hot desert climates like/

A
  • less than 250 mm of rainfall per year
  • very hot days due to lack of clouds which would give shade
  • very cold nights due to lack of clouds to keep heat in
  • warm, dry wind can cause sandstorms
  • low humidity as there’s no moisture in the air
34
Q

where are deserts

A

surrounding the tropics of cancer (30 degrees north) and the tropic of capricorn (30 degrees south) of the equator

35
Q

fennec fox adaptations

A
  • thick, long hair helps insulate them in cold nights and protects them from heat during the day
  • big ears allow heat loss by providing a large area of exposed skin full of blood vessels
  • thick fur on paws to protect feet from heated sand and also act as snow shoes at night
  • light coloured fur allows them to camouflage with sand and to reflect sunlight to keep them cool
36
Q

cactus adaptations

A
  • spikes to prevent animals from taking water
  • white upper surface helps reflect sunlight
  • large root systems take in lots of water during rainfall
  • waxy skin reduces evaporation
  • seeds can live for 7 years before growing
37
Q

camel adaptations

A
  • humps store fat to allow them to go long periods of time without eating or drinking
  • long legs to main body can avoid heat from ground
  • thick fur to serve as insulation, protecting them from heat and cold
  • long lashes to keep sand from blowing into eyes
  • thick lips to forage for thorny plants other animals cant eat
38
Q

acacia tree adaptations

A
  • small trunk means it requires les water to survive
  • small leaves reduce evaporation
  • long roots to reach water that is buried beneath the ground
39
Q

where are equatorial climates?

A

5 degrees north and south of the equator. also known as tropical climates

40
Q

factors of tropical climates

A
  • high temperature all year round
  • temperature ranges between 25-28 degrees
  • rainfall is high every month
  • total annual rainfall is 2000 mm
  • hot and wet all year, no seasons
  • lots of cloud cover and high levels of humidity
41
Q

layers of the rainforest

A
  • emergent - 30-40m - widely spaced trees
  • canopy - 20-30m = very dense
  • under canopy - 15m - little light available
  • shrub - where light is available
  • ground - only in clearings or on river banks
42
Q

adaptations of green eyed tree frog

A
  • green eyelids to camouflage
  • when disturbed, they flash bulging red eyes, orange feet and blue-yellow flanks - startle coloration
  • webbed footpads enable them to cling to leaves
43
Q

buttress root adaptations

A
  • roots grow above forest floor to provide support
  • roots spread wide and deep to allow them to absorb more nutrients
44
Q

adaptations of drip tips

A
  • waxy surface helps water slip off
  • pointy tips allow water to run off quickly without damaging or breaking leaf
  • wide main surface to maximise sun for photosynthesis
45
Q

adaptations of sloths

A
  • slow metabolic rate to reduce amount of food needed
  • slow movement to conserve energy due to limited food availability
  • specialized claws for gripping on branches
  • algae on fur for camouflage against predators
46
Q

adaptations of spider monkey

A
  • flexible and lightweight, allowing them to swing around gracefully and quickly
  • long, strong tail that acts as a 5th limb to grasp and move through canopy
  • diet rich in carbs and sugars from fruit to supply a lot of energy
47
Q

adaptations of lianas

A
  • have specialised hooks or thorns to attach to other trees, enabling them to climb higher
  • thick stems that can store water, allowing them to survive
  • highly flexible, allowing them to grow to where sunlight is more abundant
48
Q

anaconda adaptations

A
  • nose and eyes located on top of head to help them breath and see when swimming
  • green colour is good for camouflage
  • cold blooded keeping temperatures regulated in hot climate
49
Q

deforestation in Malaysia causes

A

LOGGING
- Malaysia is the largest exporter of tropical hardwoods
- there is still illegal logging in areas of Borneo, even though there are laws against it
- Selective logging requires road construction which results in deforestation

ENERGY
- Construction of dams for Hydroelectric power result in flooding of large areas of forest
- The Bakun Dam will result in 700km2 of land being underwater in Sarawak, Malaysia

MINING
- An iron ore mine planned for the Som Forest Reserve will result in the deforestation of over 60 hectares
- There is also drilling for oil and gas

COMMERCIAL PLANTATIONS
-Malaysia exports over 30% of the world’s palm oil and is the second largest producer

SETTLEMENTS
-Up to 1980 people were encouraged to move to rural areas from the cities to try and reduce the pressure on urban areas
-This led to the deforestation of approximately 15,000 hectares of rainforest

SUBSISTENCE FARMING
-This can involve slash and burn where areas are cleared using fires - these can sometimes get out of control and destroy large areas of rainforest

50
Q

deforestation in Malaysia impacts

A

SOIL EROSION
- No tree roots to bind to the soil, the soil is more easily eroded by wind and rain

LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY
- Habitats destroyed and ecosystem affected by deforestation. variety of plants and animals decreases
- Oil Palm plantations lead to 35% reduction in species

LOCAL CLIMATE CHANGE
- Reduced transpiration and evaporation leads to a decrease in precipitation and an increase in temperatures

GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE
- Felling of the trees leads to a decrease in the absorption of carbon dioxide, increasing levels
- Use of fire for clearance also increases CO2 emissions

INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES
- Indigenous communities such as the Orang Asli and Temiar have been forced off land
- This has reduced the available food sources
In Kuala Koh village 2019 at least 15 indigenous died after an outbreak of disease

51
Q

deforestation in Malaysia management

A

ECOTOURISM
- income used for protecting rainforest trees such as Sungai Yu Forest Reserve

CONSERVATION AND EDUCATION
- areas protected for research and tourism.

52
Q

how much of Malaysia is covered in rainforests?

A

70%

53
Q

where is Malaysia?

A

a small country in South-East Asia

geography (3 decks)

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