Weather And Climate

Question 1

What Is Atmospheric Circulation?

Answer 1

Earth is a sphere so suns solar energy hits equator more directly than polar regions,

This causes large scale atmospheric circulation, resting changing areas of low and high pressure,

Winds are a part of this atmospheric circulation and move from high to low pressure.

Question 2

How Does Atmospheric Circulation Work?

Answer 2

Air is heated by the ground and rises, causing low pressure,

Air sinks which leads to high pressure,

Differences in pressure causes winds to redistribute heat from the topics across the plant.

Question 3

How The Cells Work?

Answer 3

Air heats at equator. This air rises and expands. Cools at around 30 degrees north and south and sinks which creates high pressure (Hadley Cell),

The cooler air eventually reaches ground and moves as surface winds back to the equator or toward the poles,

At around 60 degrees, warmer surface winds meet cooler air from the poles. The warm air rises because it is less dense than cold air. This creates low pressure (Ferrel Cell),

At the poles, the cool air sinks and creates high pressure again. The smallest and weakest cells are the polar cells, from 60 degrees onwards. Here, the air is very dry and stable.

Question 4

Hadley Cell?

Answer 4

Ground is intensely heated by sun,

Air rises which creates low pressure,

Low pressure zone on Earth is ITZC,

Air rises and forms thick, cumulonimbus clouds (storm clouds).

Question 5

ITCZ?

Answer 5

Inter Tropical Convergence Zone,

Low pressure zone on Earth.

Question 6

High Pressure Zone?

Answer 6

Subtropical High Pressure Zone.

Question 7

Deserts Are Usually Found?

Answer 7

30 degrees north and south,

Because air is cooler and drier.

Question 8

What Happens At Northern Hemisphere?

Answer 8

The winds flow to the right and are called Northeast Trade Winds,

This is because of Coriolis Force and friction.

Question 9

Southern Hemisphere?

Answer 9

The winds flow to the left and are called the Southeast Trade Winds.

Question 10

Boundary Between Cold And Warm Air?

Answer 10

Called the polar front.

Question 11

Coriolis Effect?

Answer 11

As the air moves above the surface of the earth, the planet continues to rotate,

This mess as mass of air moves north from the equator over a large distance, it will appear to have been deflected to the right and not traveled in a straight line,

This is because of Earth rotating,

In the Southern Hemisphere, the air is deflected to the left.

Question 12

Jet Streams?

Answer 12

Form at boundaries of the main circulation cel.

Question 13

Polar Jet Stream?

Answer 13

Polar jet stream is formed by the deflection of upper air winds by Coriolis effect,

Resembles a stream of water moving water to east and has an altitude of about 10km.

Question 14

How Are Jet Streaks Intensified?

Answer 14

Air flow is intensified by strong temperature and pressure that develops when cold air from poles meet warm air.

Question 15

Jet Stream Core?

Answer 15

Wind velocity is highest in the core of the jet stream,

Wind can reach speeds of 300 km per hour,

Core is surrounded by slower moving air that has an average velocity of 130 km per hour in winter and 65 in summer.

Question 16

Subtropical Jet Stream?

Answer 16

Found 25 degrees north and 35 degrees south,

Generally traveled westerly direction.

Question 17

Ocean Currents?

Answer 17

Surface water in the North Atlantic is cooled by winds from the Artic,

Cold, dense, salty water sinks and travels toward the equator as part of the thermohaline circulation,

In turn, the Gulf Stream moves warm water from the Gulf of Mexico to the north east at the surface to replace it,

This brings warmth to the North West of Europe, making the climate milder than any other place at the same altitude.

Question 18

How Can Heat From Tropics Be Transferred?

Answer 18

Transferred by polar regions which are large scale water movement within the oceans,

Heat is transfer by warm ocean current, such as North Atlantic Drift,

Ocean currents are set in motion by prevailing surface winds and general atmospheric circulation,

Direction of water movement this also deflected by the Coriolis Force.

Question 19

North Atlantic Drift?

Answer 19

North Atlantic Drift in the Atlantic Ocean,

Goes from low latitudes to high latitude.

Question 20

Natural Causes Of Climate Change?

Answer 20

Geological-Scale external forcing mechanisms such as Milankovitch cycle,

Volcanic eruptions cause cooling.

Question 21

How Has Temperature Changed Since Last Ice Age?

Answer 21

Over the past 11,000 years, temperatures have fluctuated above and below average,

Generally, temperatures have increased.

Question 22

Solar Variation?

Answer 22

Amount of solar energy that comes for the sun.

Question 23

Sunspots?

Answer 23

Black areas on the surface of the sun,

Lots of sunspots means that the sun is more active than usual.

Question 24

Sunspots Affecting Solar Output?

Answer 24

Reduction in sun spots means there’s a reduction in solar output.

Question 25

Milankovitch Cycles?

Answer 25

Changes in the Earths orbital geometry,

Eccentricity,
Axal Tilt,
Precession.

Question 26

Eccentricity?

Answer 26

Shape of the Earths orbit,

Over a period of 100,000 years, the Earths orbit will ch age,
Changes from circular to elliptical,

Ice ages are linked to times when the Earths orbit has been circular,

The Earth is warmer when the orbit is elliptical.

Question 27

Axal Tilt?

Answer 27

The tilt of the Earth varies from 22.1 degrees to 24.5 degrees,

Happens over a period of 41,000 years,

As axal of the tilt increases, the summers become warmer and the winters become colder,

in general, if the axal has increased, the Earth is warmer too.

Question 28

Precession?

Answer 28

Wobble of the Earth on its axis,

A wobble cycle usually takes about 26,000 years,

Motion is cause by gravitational action of the sun and the moon,

This cycle impacts the seasons and can coast warmer summers.

Question 29

Volcanic Activity?

Answer 29

When volcanoes erupt, they release large amounts of gases such as sulphur dioxide into the atmosphere,

This mixes with water to form sulphuric acid droplets knows as aerosols,

These droplets absorb radiation from the sun, heating them selfs and the atmosphere round them,

This stops beat reaching the Earths surface,

They can also put so much ash into the atmosphere that it reflects solar radiation which cools the air,

E.g. 1991 Mt. Pinatubo In Philippines erupted.

Question 30

Evidence Of Climate Change?

Answer 30

Ice Cores,

Pollen Records,

Tree Rings,

Historical Sources.

Question 31

Ice Cores?

Answer 31

Cores can be drilled to measure the amount of carbon dioxide trapped in the ice,

This is a climatic indicator because levels of C02 tend to be higher during cooler periods,

C02 is lower during warmer periods.

Question 32

Pollen Records?

Answer 32

Shows which plants were dominant at a particular time due to the climate,

Plants have a distinctive shape to their pollen grains,

Pollens which fall into areas such as peat bogs can resist decay,

Sediment cores from the ground can be extracted from peat bogs and lake beds,

These cores can contain the resistant decay and show us the plant it has come from,

This allows us to work our climate condition when these plants pollenated.

Question 33

Tree Rings?

Answer 33

Dendrochronology,

A new tree ring forms each year,

If the tree ring is thick, it shows good growing conditions such as wet and warm,

If it is not thick, it shows cooler and drier periods.

Question 34

Historical Sources?

Answer 34

Cave paintings, diaries, documentary evidence, paintings can show us what the weather looked like,

Documents including harvest yields show us what crops thrived each year,

Wrath conditions collected by The Met Office go back as far as 1861,

We also used to have fairs on the frozen River Thames.

Question 35

Global Warming Is?

Answer 35

The increase in temperature on Earth.

Question 36

Causes Of Global Warming?

Answer 36

Increases of CO2 and Methane in the atmosphere,

Combustion,

Transport,

Energy,

Farming.

Question 37

Greenhouse Affect?

Answer 37

Sun shines short wave radiation which passes through the greenhouse gases,

Earth is warmer by this,

Some heat is transferred by green house gases,

Some heat escapes into space,

Increase in greenhouse gases by fossil fuels and cutting down trees,

Less heat escapes into space,

More heat is trapped in the atmosphere and the Earth is warmed more.

Question 38

Green House Gases Examples?

Answer 38

CO2,

Methane,

Nitrous Oxide,

Water Vapour,

CFCs.

Question 39

Methane Is Produced How?

Answer 39

Wetlands, marshes and swaps,

Growing rice,

Landfill sites that contain rotting vegetables,

Burning vegetation,

Bowels of animals.

Question 40

Carbon Dioxide Is Produced How?

Answer 40

Occurs naturally,

Burning and natural decay of organic matter,

Desperation of oxygen using organisms,

Volcanos.

Question 41

What Caused A Huge Increase In CO2?

Answer 41

Industrial revolution.