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geog wjec U2 > weather and climate (5) > Flashcards

weather and climate (5) Flashcards

1
Q

interglacial period

A

when polar ice has retreated and the sheets of ice decrease in size (WARM period)

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2
Q

glacial period

A

when glaciers and polar ice have increased, reaching further south and covering large parts of the earth (COLD period)

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3
Q

Quaternary period (Pleistocene)

A

a period in earths history that has been dominated by cold climates and ice shaping the land

  • has lasted 2.6 million years
  • climate constantly changing
  • most recent period of geological time
  • pleistocene ended 10,000 yrs ago
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4
Q

what phase are we in now

A

Holocene, a warm period

- part of the quaternary period

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5
Q

approximately, when does the earths temp fluctuate?

A

every 100,000 years
(currently warming up)
- fluctuates in cycles

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6
Q

the natural causes of climate change

theory from scientist- Milankovitch

A
  • the natural wobble of the earth as it moves around the sun: this affects the TILT of the earth and the AMOUNT OF ENERGY it receives from the sun
  • the fact the earth does NOT have a circular orbit around the sun: the orbit is ECCENTRIC, sometimes it’s closer to the sun and other times further away
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7
Q

tilt of the axis

A

varies between 22.1° and 24.5° every 41,000 yrs

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8
Q

earths orbit factuals

A

the earth completes the eccentric orbit once every 100,000 yrs

earth completes a wobble on its axis once every 26,000 yrs

earth spins on its axis once every 24 hrs

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9
Q

how do volcanic eruptions affect climate?

A
  • large eruptions can eject dust and sulphur dioxide into the lower STRATOSPHERE (a layer in the atmosphere that is 15-25km above earth
  • at this altitude the jet stream is able to carry the volcanic material in a belt around the globe
  • the mixture of ash and SO2 form an AEROSOL ~ tiny droplets that scatter sunlight back into space
  • this REDUCES the amount of solar energy that reaches the earths surface, so average temperatures can be reduced
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10
Q

volcano diagram (correct placement)

A

solar radiation

jet stream ash and SO2 stratosphere
———————————————————
troposphere

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11
Q

greenhouse effect

A

a natural process, means that earths atmosphere acts like an insulating blanket

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12
Q

stiff about the GHE

A

without it, the avg surface temp of the earth would be 17° rather than 15°C

at this temp, life would not have evolved into its present form and we probs wouldn’t exist

light (short wave) and heat (long wave) energy from the sun passes through the atmosphere easily. the suns energy heats the earth and it radiates its own energy back into the atmosphere

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13
Q

stuff about GHE (greenhouse gases) p2

A

the long wave heat energy coming from earth is easily absorbed by naturally occurring gases in the atmosphere (GHE)

GHE include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and water vapour (H2O)

co2 is 4th most common gas in atmosphere, occurs naturally as a product of respiration from all living things. so, as long as life has been present, so has co2

methane and water vapour have been in atmo for longer, so the GHE has been affecting our planter for thousands of millions of years

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14
Q

GHE diagram

A
  1. solar energy enters the atmosphere
  2. as this short wave energy passes through the atmosphere it might hit dust particles or water droplets and be scattered or reflected
  3. only a little short wave radiation is absorbed in atmosphere
  4. solar energy heats the earths surface which then radiates long wave energy into atmosphere
  5. long wave energy is quite easily absorbed by naturally occurring GHE in atmosphere, of these carbon dioxide is the MOST ABUNDANT
  6. some long wave energy escapes into space
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15
Q

enhanced GHE

A
  • GHE is good, traps some energy from the sun, which keeps our planet at a suitable temp for life
  • the problem is, our increased release of GHG (gases) is causing an increase GHE called the enhanced GHE ~ this is leading to global warming
  • since the INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION in the 1750s, co2 levels have increased by 40%
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16
Q

GH gases (GHH)

A

co2 - 72% - cars, vehicles, factories
CFC- 13% - aerosols, fridges, plastic foam
nitrous oxide - 5% - cars, fertiliser
ch4 - 10% - rubbish dumps, farms, rice fields

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17
Q

carbon cycle - the recycling of carbon through various natural processes

A

1- carbon enters atmosphere as co2 from respiration and combustion

2- co2 is absorbed by producers to make carbohydrates in photosynthesis

3- animals feed on plant, passing carbon compounds along food chain. most carbon consumed is exhaled as co2. the animals and plants eventually die

4- the dead organisms are eaten by decomposers and the carbon in body is returned to atmosphere as co2. in some conditions, decomposition is blocked. the plant and animal material may then be available as fossil fuel in the future for combustion.

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18
Q

other parts of carbon cycle

A

marine animals may convert some of the carbon in their diet into calcium carbonate which is used to make their shells

over time the shells of dead organisms collect on the seabed and form limestone

due to earth movements this limestone may eventually become exposed to the air where it’s weathered and the carbon is released back into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide

volcanic action may also release co2

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19
Q

carbon stores

A
  • carbon is stored in organic material in the soil, such as leaf litter
  • carbon is stored in plant tissue
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20
Q

carbon flows

A
  • tree releases some co2 during respiration
  • branches fall from tree, transferring carbon to the organic material in the soil
  • co2 is released from the soil into the atmosphere
  • during the day, the tree absorbs co2 during photosynthesis
  • bacteria and beetles add co2 to air in the soil during respiration
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21
Q

how humans affect carbon cycle

A
  1. burning fossil fuels
    - naturally the release of them occurs slowly
    - humans heavily reliant on FF, extract from earths crust in great quantities
    - used for industrial activity and power generation
    - these remove carbon from FF and emits as co2
  2. land use and land cover change (eg deforestation)
    - clearance of forests (which also have many plants) influences CC in 2 ways:
  • removal of vegetation eliminates plants which would be capturing carbon through photosynthesis
  • dense forests replaced with crops/pasture last/built environments so a bet decrease in carbon store as small plants store much less carbon
  • deforestation also allows more soil to be eroded and carbon stored in soil is rapidly taken to rivers
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22
Q

evidence for climate change: co2 levels

A

co2 levels: sampling has been conducted since 1958 and the graph in known as KEELING CURVE, conducted on Mauna Loa, Hawaii

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23
Q

eve for climate change : ice cores

A

ice cores: tests in Greenland and Antarctica, info in ice about past

  • snowfall each winter is COVERED ND COMPRESSED by the following winter snowfall
  • each layer of snow contains CHEMICAL EVIDENCE about temp of earth climate
  • each layer also contains TRAPPED GAS from the atmosphere which the snow fell through
  • gradually layers turn to ice
  • built up and now thousands o metres thick
  • scientists can drill down and extract a cylinder ice core
  • chemical analysis reveals they contain record of climate (temp) over the LAST 420,000 YEARS
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24
Q

evidence for climate change : glacial retreat

A

ABLATION: when glacier retreats

ACCUMULATION: when glacier gets bigger

if climate is table, ablation and accumulation is the same

when retreating outdoes accumulation: summer melting exceeds the winter accumulation so indicates EARTH GETTING WARMER

(less snowfall also indicates this)

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25
Q

weather

A

describes the conditions of the ATMOSPHERE. takes into account the:

  • temperature
  • precipitation
  • humidity
  • atmospheric pressure of the part of atmosphere closest to surface of the earth

weather is CONSTANTLY CHANGING as temp and humidity change in atmosphere.

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26
Q

climate

A

the AVERAGE weather conditions in a particular location- based on average conditions there over 30 YRS OR MORE.

global climate zones with similar:
- flora
- fauna
- climate
are called BIOMES

climate refers to what is EXPECTED to happen in the atmosphere rather than actual conditions.
it IS POSSIBLE for WEATHER to be different from the suggested climate

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27
Q

temperate maritime climate of UK

maritime = near the sea

A
  • it is mild, without extremes of temps
  • mild winters, warm summers, rainfall frequent but not extreme
  • due to strong influences by air masses and ocean currents crossing Atlantic ocean
  • a feature: variability throughout the year
  • has FOUR distinct seasons
  • 2021 mean temp = 9.3°c (0.1° above avg)
  • may wettest month (provisional total 1077mm)
  • UK IS FOUND AT 50°N to 60°N of LATITUDE
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28
Q

latitude

A

lines of latitude run HORIZONTALLY around the world, most famous line is the EQUATOR

using the lines we are able to divide the world into specific climatic sections

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29
Q

latitude and climatic sections

A

locations further north recieve less concentrated energy from the sun

equator lies directly beneath the sun and so countries on equator receive the STRONGEST solar energy

so, northern hemisphere temps are cooler as y travel further away from equator

30
Q

how latitude affects rainfall in uk

A

CONVECTIONAL RAINFALL ( when energy of sun causes water to evaporate into water vapour) usually occurs during the SUMMER

it is common in Uk

high levels of heat cause high levels of evaporation, creates rising pockets of warm air ( CONVECTION CURRENTS)

warm air rises rapidly, cools and condenses into clouds
these can be large CUMULONIMBUS cloud

31
Q

lat impact on temp

A

affects amount of solar radiation that reaches UK and the area over which a given amount of solar radiation is acting

the variation in SR and length of day gives the UK it’s distinct seasons

32
Q

altitude and temp

A

location at high altitudes have colder temps and so have an increased chance of rainfall

temp falls the higher you are

temp usually decreased by 1°c every 100 metres in altitude

temp decreases due to the fact air is THINNER the higher the alt

there are fewer molecules available to receive and retain heat

WIND CHILL may also mean temps in upland areas are lower than expected

mountainous areas cause warm air to rise, causing cooling, condensing and increasing rainfall
this is RELIEF RAINFALL

33
Q

ASPECT - the direction in which a place is facing

A

only really affects LOCAL climate

in northern hemisphere, south facing slopes receive far more sunlight than north facing ones
so - much better for agriculture and settlements

34
Q

ocean currents

A

these circulate around the globe

able to transfer heat from warm latitudes to cooler ones

GULF STREAM and its extension in the NORTH ATLANTIC DRIFT is one of these

  • it carried warm water from the gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic, towards Europe
  • the warm water transfers HEAT and MOISTURE to the air above it and influences the climate of the UK

gives the uk its maritime climate which is warmer and wetter than other places at similar latitudes in continental parts of europe

35
Q

maritime nd continental air masses

A

when air masses move toward uk they bring diff kinds of weather

FIVE air masses affect uk:

  • Polar maritime air mass
  • Tropical maritime air mass
  • Tropical continental air mass
  • Polar continental air mass
  • Arctic maritime air mass

Uk usually receives air masses from the WEST

  • in summer usually SW
  • in winter, NW

the line where the 2 air masses (polar mari + tropic mari) meet creates a zone of LOW AIR PRESSURE. this is where DEPRESSIONS can form
- this is when warm air from SW moves up over colder air to the N

the 3 others don’t affect uk as much but when they do they are responsible for extreme weather we receive

36
Q

depression 😢😢😢😢

A

areas of low pressure which bring rain, cloud and wind

travel east across Britain, taking 1-3 days to pass over UK

form over the Atlantic ocean when a mass of warm, moist, tropical air from the south meets a mass of colder,drier, heavier polar air from the north

37
Q

maritime

A

air that travels across sea and is wet

38
Q

continental

A

air that travels across land and is dry

39
Q

when warm air rises:

A

depression develops

air cools, water vapour condensed out to form clouds which eventually produce rain

as they blow across country, each sector brings its own particular conditions

easy to forecast approach of a depression due to the regular pattern of cloud types found along the front

40
Q

depression characteristics

A

when ISOBARS (lines on depression map) are close together, wind is greatest. due to rapid change in air pressure

WIND- blows anti-clockwise, and along isobars. can work out wind direction by following the isobars in an anti-clockwise direction

WET- where warm air meets cold air, the warm air is pushed upwards where it cools, condenses and precipitates (usually as rain) A front is a band of cloud and clouds bring rain

TEMPERATURE- in general, the WARM sector behind the warm front brings warmer temps and the COLD sector behind the cold front brings the cooler temps

41
Q

description of weather in depression recap on gc

A

slide 16 in weather and climate booklet

42
Q

jet streams

A
  • a strong ribbon of wind that circles the globe between 9-16km above the surface of the earth and can read speeds of 200mph

it’s set to pull arctic air towards the uk after changing direction miles above the Atlantic ocean

separates the cold polar air masses to the north from the warmer tropical air masses to the south *this caused position to vary

weather conditions in uk are massively influenced by location of jet stream

43
Q

jet stream p2

A

if falls south to uk, it draws cold
air from arctic. if north, warm from tropics
- due to this we experience high pressure, also known as an ANTICYCLONE

track of the JS can shift from time to time
when it stays in one position, uk will have long spell of similar weather

when high pressure becomes fixed in uk in winter, weather is sunny and dry but cold- especially at night

during summer, anticyclone brings hot and dry weather

if remains in fixed position, can lead to problems like HEATWAVES OR DROUGHT.

uk worst drought was in 2003, when anticyclone stayed over uk for several weeks

44
Q

anticyclone

A

areas of HIGH PRESSURE

the areas are generally larger and move more slowly than low pressure systems

winds circulate around the centre in a CLOCKWISE direction

area of heavy cool air sinks and it warms up as it does so, as it warms its able to hold more moisture - this means clouds don’t form

45
Q

high pressure systems on synoptic chart identified from:

A
  • widely spaced isobars
  • no fronts/clouds
  • isobars showing pressure increasing outwards from the centre and above 1008mb
46
Q

high pressure characteristics

A

WIND- blows clockwise, along isobars. blows GENTLY when isobars widely spread

TEMP- i’m summer, skies clear with little cloud, temps high. in winter, skies same, but temps are cold and there is a likelihood of fog and frost

  • air generally sinking slowly, it warms preventing clouds to form = clear sky. SOMETIMES ground is warm enough to cause air to rise and can form a layer of cloud
  • usually associated with hot clear summer days, but can bring fog, frost, cloud
47
Q

how ppl in uk affected by anticyclone

A

SUMMER:

  • more water used
  • possible hose pipe bans
  • sales of ice cream and fans increase

WINTER:

  • car accidents to die ice fog frost
  • difficulties travelling
48
Q

front

A

the boundary between two air masses, one being colder and drier than the other

49
Q

warm front

A

warm air forced to rise over cold air

50
Q

cold front

A

cold air undercuts warm air

51
Q

isobar

A

lines on a map which join together to places of equal pressure (MEASURED IN MILLIBARS)

52
Q

how cities affect patterns of wind and rain

A

buildings and traffic in large city influence climate - affect called MICROCLIMATE

creates warmer temps than the surrounding rural areas - aka URBAN HEAT ISLAND
(city acts as huge storage heater, transferring heat from buildings and cars to the dome of air covering the city)

concrete, brick, tarmac ABSORB heat from sun during day, radiates it at evening/night into atmosphere

53
Q

how cities affect wind nd rain p2

A

badly insulated buildings lose heat energy, esp thru windows nd roofs

heat also made from cars and factories which is lost thru exhausts and chimneys

parks and green spaces in city do not heat up as much, so helps keep urban place COOL 😎 during summer

vegetation helps remove dust from air, eg particles from diesel cars. trees and hedges reduce noise from roads

parks nd gardens SOAK up rain water and help prevent flash floods that may occur due to impermeable surfaces in towns/cities

54
Q

ecosystem

A

community of plants and animals which interact with each other and with their non living environment

a natural environment which includes FLORA AND FAUNA that interact blah blah. flora, fauna and bacteria are the BIOTIC or LIVING components of an ecosystem

the biotic parts have a complex relationship with the abiotic components - changing one will lead to change in the other

(diagram example on GC)

55
Q

ecosystem dependent on what abiotic/non living components

A
  1. climate - temp and amount of rainfall are very important for determine what species can survive in this ecosystem
  2. soil- soil type is important as this provides nutrients that will support different plants
  3. water- amount of water available in an ecosystem will determine what plants and animals can be supported
56
Q

ecosystem nd biomes

A

climate is so important for ecosystems in influencing natural veg and wildlife of a region that BIOMES broadly match the worlds climate zones

eg: tropical rainforests grow in the band around the equator where the equatorial climate is hot and wet

treeless tundras and forested taigas exist where winters are cold and summers are short

(biomes allllll link with latitude)
case studies on GC

57
Q

key points

A
  • lat is so important factor influencing biomes bc it affects whihc flora and fauna inhabit it as it creates diff climates
  • creates climatic zones: EG. at 0° lat, solar energy strikes at almost a right angle - leading to concentrated sun within a small footprint which causes strong heating
  • whereas, arctic circle solar energy strike the ground at a low angle and is spread : resulting in GENTLE HEATING
58
Q

key processes in tropical rainforest/ savannah

detailed ver is on GC for both

A

nutrient cycle - local scale

water cycle - global scale

carbon cycle - global scale

location

climate

vegetation

soil

59
Q

sustainability in tropical rainforest

A
  • agro-forestry : growing crops and trees at the same time
  • selective logging: cutting down trees of a certain species of age
  • forest reserves and wildlife corridors: protects habitats and allows vegetation and animals to reproduce and grow
  • encourage ecotourism
60
Q

sustainability in savannah grassland

A
  • crop rotation: allows soil to recover and stay fertile
  • afforestation: to reduce the risk of wind erosion
  • shelter belts: to collect rainwater and excess soil to reduce risk of soil erosion
  • plant drought resistant plants
  • reduce grazing numbers or move animals in the same way as crop rotations
61
Q

key services in biomes

A

provision services- wood, food, clean water

regulating services- flood control, preventing soil erosion, providing medicines

cultural services- spiritual and leisure resources

supporting services- carbon cycling

62
Q

small scale ecosystem- how does human activity affect a sand dune ecosystem

A

recreation - walking nd pony trekking causes the vegetation (marram grass) to be trampled and killed which then causes the sand dunes to fall apart, destroying the ecosystem

economic- used for grazing animals and developing recreational tourism sites, causes same as previous

environmental- afforestation used in some areas to avoid loss of sand, problem: alters natural habitat and veg and animals die

management- boardwalks, fencing, signs and planting marram grass reduces tramping

63
Q

how ppl use ecosystems and environments

[wales has big potential, 1200km of coastline to generate renewable energy such as wind, wave, and tidal technologies]

A

example of gwynt y mor wind farm

  • opened june 2015
  • second largest in world
  • 160 turbines
  • 12 yrs to build

POSITIVES

  • creates enough power for 400,000 homes
  • 100 jobs created to service turbines
  • helps reduce co2 in atmosphere and tackled climate change

NEGATIVES

  • migrating birds fly through the area so can be killed
  • damages visual environment, creates eyesore which may reduce tourism
64
Q

how humans modify processes in ecosystem TROP RAINFOREST

A

what they do:

  • continuous rainforest canopy acts as constant giant umbrella
  • canopy intercepts raindrops from hitting ground with force and causing soil erosion
  • they reduce amount hitting the forest floor, the rain drips off the leaves more gently instead

what HUMANS do: if they cut it down

  • may be due to logging, forest clearance for palm oil plantations
  • now increased risk of soil erosion
  • soil washed away in heavy rain into local rivers where it reduces capacity of the channel to cope
  • lead to flooding problems
65
Q

how humans modify processes : SAVANNAH GRASSLAND

A

what they do:

  • naturally reduces risk of soil erosion
  • vegetation that grows offers protection from soil erosion (no natural tree canopy)

what HUMANS do:

  • DESERTIFICATION is a natural process of land turning into desert as the soil quality declines over time
  • by cutting and burning down vegetation, humans will quicken the process
66
Q

how poor land management affects savannah

A
  • slash and burn of trees and bushes reduces EVAPO-TRANSPIRATION
  • leads to reduced rainfall totals
  • leads to reduction of water for people who rely on rivers for water supply
  • removal of veg = leaf litter can no longer fall into the soil
  • nutrient cycle is broken and shrubs no longer replace nutrients or help maintain healthy soil structure by adding organic material to the soil
  • destroy tree canopy = exposes soil to rain splash erosion
  • during heavy rain: water flows over surface in sheets, erodes organic material in upper layers of soil
  • on steeper slopes, power of water picks up + carries soil particles and small rocks
  • used these to erode downwards into soil (GULLEY EROSION)
67
Q

arable

A

crop-growing farming

68
Q

pastoral farming

A

animal grazing farming

69
Q

how food production affect savannah

A

arable and pastoral farming done here

crops grown using BUSH FALLOW SYSTEM

scrub veg removed by slashing and burning

crops like maize nd root crops are grown for 1-3 yrs

land then abandoned for 8-15yrs (FALLOW PERIOD)

during so, natural shrubs grow back and their leaves decompose in the soil - replacing organic fibre and nutrients that were taken out from farming

this is SUSTAINABLE as long as FP is long enough

if too short, not enough time for soil to recover, loses organic content, structure becomes dusty - soil at risk of erosion from wind and rain

70
Q

can drought resistant crops help solve food production prob

A

drought resistant crops (DRC) can grow if rainfall levels are low

crops like chickpea, groundnut, millet, etc can grow in hot semi-arid regions
also suitable for growing on small holdings

the Nippon Foundation (an NGO) is helping farmers use new varieties of developed maize crops

local farmers complain about the price, how they’re more costly than the usual varieties

71
Q

high pressure and low pressure system quickie

A

HIGH- light winds

LOW- strong winds

geog wjec U2 (5 decks)

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