Weather And Climate Flashcards
Why does it rain?
When water is heated by the sun, it evaporates and turns into water vapour, which rises into the air.
It condenses and cools and becomes cloud droplets, when all these small droplets form together, they become visible and form clouds ,when the tiny droplets become too heavy they fall from the sky (it rains).
What different factors affect the climate?
Latitude, seasonality, altitude, continentality, ocean currents, prevailing winds
How does latitude affect the climate?
It is related to how far a country is from the equator. If a country is far from the equator sun rays will not reach there as much.
How does seasonality affect the climate?
Places of higher latitudes have more of a seasonal change. This is because the earth is tilting at 23.50° and those places will be colder and warmer more significantly through the seasons.
How does altitude affect the climate?
The sun heats the land and the land heats then heats the air. At high altitudes the heat escapes the air. Every 100m higher it is 1°C colder.
How does continentality affect the climate?
In winter areas closer to the sea are warmer but in summer they are cooler. This is because the water takes the heat from the air in the summer, and in the winter it lets the heat out.
How do ocean currents affect the climate?
When ocean currents move, they bring warm or cool water depending on where they came from. The water then releases the heat or takes the heat and then the area is warmer or cooler.
How do prevailing winds affect the climate?
This is the most common wind in an area. If the air is moist, it will rain or snow, but if not, it won’t.
How is weather different to climate?
Weather is about the week, whereas climate is about a year (or season). Weather is the exact temperature or rainfall but the climate is on averages.
Rainfall types?
Convectional, relief and frontal
What is convectional rainfall?
The sun heats the land. The surface then heats the air. The warm air cools down and makes clouds. More water drops go to the cloud and it rains.
What is frontal rainfall?
Two air masses meet one warm one cold, the warm air rises and meets the cold air to create water vapour. Clouds form and it rains.
What is relief rainfall?
Prevailing winds forces wram, moist air over high areas. The air rises and cools. It condenses, makes clouds, and rains.
What are air masses?
Air masses are huge blocks of air which affect the weather. They can be warm, dry and warm or cold.
Air masses in the UK are………
Arctic maritime, polar maritime, tropical maritime, polar continental and tropical continental.
