weather and climate

Question 1

Air pressure

Answer 1

The weight of air on the Earth’s surface measured by a barometer in Millibars

Question 2

Air Temperature

Answer 2

The degree or intensity of heat present in the atmosphere, measured by dry and wet thermometer and places in a Stevenson Screen

Question 3

Cloud cover

Answer 3

The amount of clouds in a sky measured by observation in Oktas

Question 4

Precipitation

Answer 4

Water falling from the sky in different forms, snow, sleet, hail, fog. Measured by a rain gauge in mm

Question 5

Relative Humidity

Answer 5

The quantity of water vapor in parcel of air, measured by a hygrometer in grams of water vapor per kilogram of dry air

Question 6

Wind speed

Answer 6

The velocity of moving air in the atmosphere, measured by an anemometer, usually in knots(nautical mile per hour

Question 7

Wind direction

Answer 7

Measured from the direction wind comes from, measured by a wind vane

Question 8

Isobars

Answer 8

lines on a weather map joining together places of equalatmospheric pressure

Question 9

weather in low pressures

Answer 9

wet and windyweather

Question 10

weather in high pressures

Answer 10

dry, sunny weather

Question 11

Air pressure range

Answer 11

from900 mb(a hurricane) to1100 mb(an anticyclone).

Question 12

isohyet

Answer 12

A line on a map that joins up places of equal rainfall

Question 13

isotherm

Answer 13

A line on a map that joins up places of equal temperature

Question 14

equatorial climate

Answer 14

Equatorial –heavy rainfall all year
Temperature - 25-30 all year, cold winters, mild summers
Annual rainfall – less than 250mm.

Question 15

types of deserts

Answer 15

Extremely arid areas
Arid areas ( hot deserts)
Semi - arid areas
Cold deserts

Question 16

extremely arid areas

Answer 16

have at least 12 consecutive months without rainfall e.g. Atacama desert.

Question 17

Arid areas ( hot deserts)

Answer 17

less than 250mm of annual rainfall e.g. Namib desert.

Question 18

Semi - arid areas

Answer 18

Less than 500mm of annual rainfall e.g. Mali

Question 19

Cold deserts

Answer 19

Less than 250mm of rainfall. Located in interior of a continent or high latitude. Lower temperatures, often minus degrees in winter months.

Question 20

where are deserts located

Answer 20

near the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn

Question 21

equatorial climate

Answer 21

home to TRF, heavy rainfall all year & temp 25-30 all year.

Question 21

arid climate

Answer 21

( tropical zone) – deserts, clear skies, cool night, day time temp can exceed 45. Low annual rainfall – less than 250mm.

Question 22

polar climate

Answer 22

cold ( below zero temp)and dry all year

Question 23

tundra climate ( sub polar)

Answer 23

located 60-70 degrees North, cold and dry, slow growing plants

Question 24

grasslands (subtropical zone)

Answer 24

Distinct wet & dry seasons – located 15-30 N/S.

Question 25

relief rainfall

Answer 25

1. occurs when warm, moist air from the Atlantic Ocean rises up over mountains.
2. When the warm air rises, it cools and condenses to form clouds, which brings rain.
3. Once the air has passed over the mountains, it descends and warms.
4. This creates drier conditions known as arain shadow

Question 26

conventional rainfall

Answer 26

1. usually occurs during the summer in the UK, when the sun heats the land.
2. This creates rising pockets of warm air, known as convection currents.
3. Warm air rises rapidly, where it starts to cool and condenses to form clouds.
4. These clouds can be largecumulonimbusclouds.
5. The clouds can produce heavy rainfall and thunderstorms.

Question 27

latitude

Answer 27

• distance from the equator
• Temperatures drop the further an area is from the equator due to the curvature of the earth

Question 28

altitude

Answer 28

• height above sea level
• Locations at a higher altitude have colder temperatures. Temperature usually decreases by 1°C for every 100 metres in altitude.

Question 29

distance from sea

Answer 29

Oceans heat up and cool down much more slowly than land. This means that coastal locations tend to be cooler in summer and warmer in winter than places inland at the same latitude and altitude

Question 30

prevailing wind

Answer 30

The prevailing wind is the most frequent wind direction a location experiences

Question 31

climate in tropical rainforests (TRF)

Answer 31

• Low pressure all year on the Equator.
• Midday sun almost vertical, giving maximum isolation.
• Average temperature all year round 26 degrees Celsius.
• Heavy convection rainfall and thunderstorms in the afternoon, as the sun has warmed the ground, causing the air to rise.
• Average annual rainfall 1750 - 2500mm
• High relative humidity 75%.

Question 32

soil in TRF

Answer 32

• Most of the soil is not veryfertile.
• A thin layer of fertile soil is found at the surface where the dead leaves decompose.
• It is red in colour because it is rich in iron.
• Due to heavy rainfall the nutrients are quickly washed out of the soil.

Question 33

lianas

Answer 33

these are woody vines that have roots in the ground but climb up the trees to reach the sunlight. Their leaves and flowers grow in thecanopy.

Question 34

tree trunks

Answer 34

these are tall and thin to allow trees to reach the sunlight. The bark on these trees is smooth to allow water to flow down to the roots easily

Question 35

drip tips

Answer 35

plants have leaves with pointy tips. This allows water to run off the leaves quickly without damaging or breaking them.

Question 36

epiphytes

Answer 36

these are plants which live on the branches of trees high up in thecanopy. They get their nutrients from the air and water, not from the soil.

Question 37

buttress roots

Answer 37

large roots have ridges which create a large surface area that help to support large trees.

Question 38

animal adaptations in TRF

Answer 38

• Theslothusescamouflageand moves very slowly to make it difficult forpredatorsto spot.
• Thespider monkeyhas long, strong limbs to help it to climb through the rainforest trees.
• Theflying froghas fully webbed hands and feet, and a flap of loose skin that stretches between its limbs, which allows it to glide from plant to plant.

Question 39

characteristics of hot deserts

Answer 39

• Hot seasons for most of the year
• Average monthly temperature of 29 degrees Celsius.
• Average annual rainfall of less then 250mm
• Temperature range of 5-50 degrees Celsius.
• Low humidity 25-30%
• Clear skies all day and night
• Coarse sandy soils with good drainage, little sub-surface water, low in nutrients and organic matter.

Question 40

causes of hot deserts

Answer 40

• hight pressure
• cold ocean currents
• rainshadow effect
• continentality

Question 41

high pressure

Answer 41

• sinking air warms and dries by compression
• no clouds = no rain

Question 42

low pressure

Answer 42

deep rain cloud

Question 43

cold ocean currents

Answer 43

ensures that there is little moisture available to cool and form clouds

Question 44

rainshadow and continentality

Answer 44

Air descending from mountainous areas warms and dries by compression, little rainfall forms and aridity is the result.