Weather and Climate Flashcards
definition of weather
• Exist over a particular place, over a relatively short period like hours or days
• Highly variable
• Weather elements are temperature, humidity, rainfall, air pressure and wind (e.g. hurricanes, tsunamis).
• Describing weather: rainy, wet, humid, dry, arid, frigid, foggy, windy, stormy, breezy, windless, calm, still
definition of climate
• Weather patterns over months, seasons, decades, centuries. These could include a persistent heat wave or drought.
• Average atmospheric conditions of a specific place over a long period of time, usually 30 years.
• Describing climate: warm, cool, hot and humid
how to use the pocket weather meter (3 pts)
• Switch on the power button and scroll up or down (up or down arrow) to get the settings at temperature
• Hold it at arm’s length apart parallel to the ground at eye level
• Take 3 readings of temperature and calculate the average temperature
weather elements (7 pts)
• Temperature (degree Celsius) & Factors affecting Temperature
• Seasons
• Air pressure / Atmospheric pressure (millibars)
• Wind (m/s, direction); Sea breeze and Land Breeze
• Humidity (%) and Relative Humidity
• Precipitation (mm); Convectional Rain
• Climograph
what are the factors affecting temperature? (3 pts)
Factors affecting Temperature
• Latitude
• Altitude
• Distance from the sea
How does latitude affect temperature (3 factors)
- Angle of Solar Radiation
- Curvature of the Earth’s Surface
- Distance travelled through the Earth’s Atmosphere
Hottest places on Earth: Near Equator
Coolest places on Earth: Towards the poles
When latitude ↑/↓, temperature ↓/↑.
- Angle of Solar Radiation (3 pts)
• When angle of solar radiation increases, there is indirect sunlight and less intense heating due to the sun rays being slanted and would spread itself out. Hence, the rays lose energy by reflection, scattering and absorption as it needs to travel further.
• Near the equator, the incoming solar radiation is more direct (nearly perpendicular or closer to a 90˚ angle). Therefore, the solar radiation is concentrated over a smaller surface area, causing warmer temperatures.
• At higher latitudes, the angle of solar radiation is smaller, causing energy to be spread over a larger area of the surface, causing cooler temperatures.
- Curvature of the Earth’s surface (2 pts)
• As the earth ‘s surface is less curved at low latitudes, the solar energy is concentrated over a smaller surface area, causing warmer temperatures.
• At higher latitudes, increased curvature of the surface causes the same amount of sun’s energy to spread over a much larger surface area and result in cooler temperatures.
- Distance travelled through the Earth’s Atmosphere (3 pts)
• The shorter distance that the sun rays travelled through the earth’s atmosphere near the equator causes less solar energy to be reflected to space, and absorbed and scattered by clouds, dust particles and water vapour in the atmosphere, resulting in warmer temperatures.
• At higher latitudes, the longer distance travelled by the sun rays through the earth’s atmosphere causes more solar radiation to be lost (causes more solar energy to be reflected to space, and absorbed and scattered by clouds, dust particles and water vapour in the atmosphere), resulting in cooler temperatures.
Heat is lost from reflection, scattering and absorption
template answer for latitude?
• At lower / higher latitudes, the angle of solar radiation is high and almost perpendicular / low and oblique.
• This results in heat being concentrated over a small area / spread over a larger area, causing more / less heating, thus resulting in higher / lower temperatures.
• The sun’s rays also travel a shorter / longer distance in the atmosphere to reach areas near the Equator than at the poles / the poles than at the equator, where less / more solar radiation is lost by reflection, scattering and absorption.
Seasons (template answer? In June and December)
The axis of the Earth at 23.5°, as the Earth revolves around the Sun, results in seasonal changes in temperature.
In June, when the Northern / Southern hemisphere is tilted towards / away from the sun, the sun shines directly on the places at higher latitudes in the Northern hemisphere / the sun shines indirectly on places at higher latitudes in the Southern hemisphere, causing more / less heating to take place. Hence, the Northern / Southern hemisphere experiences summer / winter in June.
In December, when the Northern / Southern hemisphere is tilted away / towards from the sun, the sun shines indirectly on places at higher latitudes in the Northern hemisphere / the sun shines directly on the places at higher latitudes in the Southern hemisphere, causing less / more heating to take place. Hence, the Northern / Southern hemisphere experiences winter / summer in December.
(info) The 4 seasons are experienced are in the Temperate region, approximately between 23.5°N and 66.5°N, and between 23.5°S and 66.5°S.
Distance from the Sea (why does it affect temperature? 2 pts)
• Distance from the Sea is factor affecting temperature because of the difference in thermal capacity of land and water.
- Land absorbs and loses heat faster than the sea.
- The sea absorbs and loses heat slower than the land.
Maritime Effect on Coastal Locations (model answer for distance from the sea; During summer / winter, …)
• During summer / winter, the air over the sea is cooler / remains warmer than the air over the land.
• This is because land heats up quickly while the sea heats up slowly / the sea cools slower than the land.
• When the wind blows landwards, the cool / warm air over the sea decreases / increases the temperature at coastal areas.
• Coastal locations experience warm summers / cool winters instead of hot summers / cold winters.
Definition of Altitude? (2 pts)
Altitude refers to height above sea level, measured in metres.
When altitude ↑/↓, temperature ↓/↑.
• At higher altitudes, there is more water vapour, dust and other impurities to trap/absorb the heat.
• The lower concentration of gases will also result in heat escaping back into space.
• Thus, temperatures drop with increasing altitude by 6.5°C for every 1000 m increase in height.
• At lower altitudes, air density is higher as atmospheric gases are most concentrated at the lower altitudes due to the force of gravity.
• This also means that the atmosphere is more able to absorb and radiate heat, which results in higher temperatures compared to the higher altitudes.
template answer for altitude?
(At higher / lower altitudes, …)
• At higher altitudes, there is more water vapour, dust and other impurities to trap/absorb the heat.
• The lower concentration of gases will also result in heat escaping back into space.
• Thus, temperatures drop with increasing altitude by 6.5°C for every 1000 m increase in height.
• At lower altitudes, air density is higher as atmospheric gases are most concentrated at the lower altitudes due to the force of gravity.
• This also means that the atmosphere is more able to absorb and radiate heat, which results in higher temperatures compared to the higher altitudes.
