Weather Flashcards
What is weather?
Weather is local and it appears over a short period of time
What is climate?
Climate is over a large area and it appears over a long period of time
Explain a rain gauge
Measures rain, sleet and snow (mm)
Explain a thermometer
Measures temperature (degrees Celsius)
Explain a Cambell-Stokes sunshine recorder
Measures sunshine
Explain a wind vane
Shows wind direction
How is the weather forecast created?
Satellites gather information and transmit it to weather stations, weather stations around the country (Dublin Airport) gather information, ships and oil rigs gather information at sea and transmit it
What is the Beaufort scale?
It’s a scale where the strength of wind is found by observation
What is relative humidity?
The percentage of moisture held by the air
What factors influence climate?
Latitude, distance from the sea/ocean, prevailing winds and air masses
What is latitude?
Latitude is the angular distance north or south of the equator
Why is the area colder the further away from the equator?
Closer to the poles, rays have a longer distance to pass through the atmosphere. The heat is also distributed over a larger area due to the curved shape of the earth.
At the equator, the sun is high in the sky. It’s rays travel through the atmosphere for a shorter distance and they are concentrated on a smaller surface area of the earth
How does the distance from the sea/ ocean effect climate?
Sea water absorbs heat slowly in the summer and lets it out in the winter.
It therefore moderates the climate of land closer to the sea, cooling it in the summer and warming it in the winter
How do prevailing winds and air masses effect climate?
Winds and air masses can make an area colder, warmer, wetter or drier depending on their origin
How do northerly winds effect climate?
It’s cold because they come from colder, higher altitudes. Generally dry because they move into warmer, lower altitudes
How easterly Winds effect climate?
Warm in summer, cold in winter. Usually dry because little moisture to be absorbed over land masses
How do southerly winds effect climate?
Warm
How do southwesterly winds effect climate?
Cool in summer, mild in winter - rain bearing, absorbs moisture over the ocean
What is local climate?
Local climate is experienced by a small region and is influenced by the shape of the land, in particular, aspect and altitude
How does aspect refer to local climate?
Aspect refers to the direction in which a slope is facing, eg North
Why are South facing slopes warmer in the northern hemisphere?
The sun shines directly on south facing slopes.
Warm southerly winds blow against south facing slopes.
They are protected from cold, northerly winds.
How are Camels designed for the desert?
- Long eyelashes to keep sand out of eyes.
- Hair on back to protect against sun.
- Hump for storing fat.
- Leathery mouth allows consumption of spiked plants.
What is desertification?
The process by which land turns to desert
What is drought?
Long rainless periods of time
Define Sahel
An area of land across Africa just south of the the Sahara desert
Define population growth
The number of people in an area increasing due to high birth rates and improved health care
Define overgrazed
When animals eat grass too quickly for the ground to recover
Define famine
When crops fail, people starve and die
Define migrate
When people move from one place to another
Define irregation
The artificial watering of land
Define drought resistant
Plants that can survive long periods of time without water
