Weather and Climate Flashcards
what is solar energy measured in
temperature
what is the greenhouse effect
when energy is trapped in atmosphere and keeps the planet warm
the more ___________increases the greenhouse effect
carbon dioxide
what is atmospheric pressure
the force of air that pushes against people on earth
the_____ the altitude, the thinner the air is/ lower the pressure/ its harder to breathe
higher
atmospheric pressure is ______
variable
high pressure
more stable
dry weather
low pressure
high winds in storms
whats the center of low pressure
cyclone
what are the two 4 major pressure zones
equitorial, subtropical highs, subpolar lows, polar highs
what is the horizontal flow of air from high to low pressure
wind
t/f
do prevailing blow in opposite directions
no, false
what are the 3 prevailing winds
trade winds, westerlies, polar easterlies
describe the trade winds
blow from north to east towards the equator
blow from south to east towards the equator
describe the westerlies
in the mid latitudes
in a west direction
describe the polar easterlies
blow across high latitudes in east direction
area of no wind, on equator
doldrum
water heats/cools _____ than land
slower
rivers of sea water
currents
what are currents created by
winds
what direction do currents move in
in a clockwise direction in the north
in a counterclockwise direction in the south
currents move back and forth from ______ to ______
the tropics
the polar regions
currents are either _____ or _____
warm
cool
warm currents flow from ____ to ____
tropics
mid latitude
cool currents flow from ___ to ____
mid latitude
high latitudes
whats an example of a warm current
gulf stream
whats an example of a cool current
California current
what is weather affected by
precipitation
elevation
mountain effects
examples of precipitation
rain
hail
sleet
snow
what is precipitation
water that comes out of the air and goes back
the point when air cannot hold any more water
condensation
when air cools, ___ is formed
liquid
when water heats, a stream is produced/creating humidity
evaporation
precipitation is higher in _____ pressure zones and lowest in ____
low
high
the ____ you go, the colder it gets
higher
mountains produce an ______
orographic effect
when moist air forces a condensation on the windward side of a mountain
orographic effect
describe the windward side
colder
higher precipitation
condensation
where does the rainshadow effect happen
the leeward side of the mountain
describe the leeward side
no wind
warmer
lower precipitation
evaporation
condensation is to windward
as
_______ is to orographic effect
rainshadow effect
warmer is to _____
as
colder is to windward effect
leeward effect
rainshadow effect creates ________
deserts
sudden violent weather events characterized by high winds, flooding, blowing snow, and lightning/thunder
cause a negative effect on life and property
storms
t/f
low pressure cyclones become large storms and are pushed by the jet-stream current
true
what causes thunderstorms/ tornadoes
mid latitude storms
what becomes hurricanes and typhoons
tropical cyclones
do mid latitude storms weakenn on land
no
do cyclones weaken on land
yes
which climate has the most diverse ecosystems
tropical climates
send dry air from low pressure to high pressure
winter
what is when you get moist air from high pressure to low pressure
rain
alternating wet and dry season
monsoon
tropical wet/ tropical climates(tropical savannah)
grass
trees
shrubs
where are tropical climates found
between north and south of equator between 0 degrees-10 degrees
where is rain
in the equatorial low pressure zone
t/f
dry climates have varying temperature and a lot of rain
false
little rain
t/f
dry can be either cold or hot
true
where are arid climates found
between 30 degreesN and 30 degreesS
what is dryness caused by
subtropical high pressure zones(most of the land experiences the rainshadow effect)
in the arid climate, ____ currents creates stable atmospheric conditions
cool
whats an example of an arid climate
sahara desert
what is the transition zone between arid and humidclimate
semi arid
t/f
the semi arid climate has more rainfall, lots of grassy area, good for growing crops like grain
true
whats an example of a semi arid climate
western part of north america
name the 2 areas mediteranian climate
coastal europe
west coast continents
where is the subartic climate
anything above 50 degreesN
what is temperature controlled by
warm ocean current
in the subartic climate
winters are ____
summers are ____
long cold
warm short
where is the subartic examples
north america, europe, asia
which climate supports boreal forests
subarctic
tundra climate
mostly freezing coastal areas
tundra climate
winters are ____
summers are _____
long
short
which climate has a lot of permafrost
tundra
what does the tundra climate support
moss
liken
short shrubs
ice cap climate
in polar regions
covered with snow/ice
ice cap
north
greenland
ice cap
south
antartica
describe ice cap
few plants
home to seals, polar bears, whales
highland climates
temperatures vary
based on elevation
where trees grow(indicates change in temperature{below treeline})
what is solar energy converted to
heat
