Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Full geog > Weather and climate (KQ1) > Flashcards

Weather and climate (KQ1) Flashcards

1
Q

What is weather defined as?

A
  • the condition of the atmosphere at a particular place and time
  • affects how we live from day to day
    atmosphere defined as: a layer of air surrounding the earth
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is climate defined as?

A
  • the average condition of the atmosphere of a specific place over a long period of time (usually 30 years)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What are the different elements of weather?

A
  • temperature
  • relative humidity
  • clouds
  • rainfall
  • air pressure
  • wind
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is the most important factor affecting temperature?

A
  • latitude
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What are the factors affecting temperature?

A
  • cloud cover
  • latitude
  • altitude
  • distance from sea
    (remember CLAD)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

How does cloud cover affect temperature?

A
  • more cloud cover causes cooler days and warmer nights
  • smaller difference between day and night temperatures
  • smaller diurnal temperature range
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

How does the presence of clouds affect temperature?

A
  • during the day: clouds reflect a large portion of the sun’s energy back into space
  • this keeps the earth’s surface cool
  • at the same time, clouds also absorb heat radiated from the earth’s surface
  • during the night: clouds absorb more of the heat radiated from the earth’s surface
  • it prevents it from escaping into space
  • thus, air near the earth’s surface is kept warm at night
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

How does the absence of clouds affect temperature?

A
  • during the day: the absence of clouds allows large amounts of solar energy to reach the earth
  • earth’s surface heats up quickly
  • thus, the air near the earth’s surface is warmer
  • during the night: the absence of clouds allows more heat radiated from the earth’s surface to escape into space
  • thus, the earth’s surface becomes cooler at night
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What is latitude defined as?

A
  • latitude is the distance of anywhere on earth measured north or south of the equator
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is the latitude of the equator?

A
  • 0 degrees
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

How does latitude affect temperature?

A
  • the sun’s rays strike different parts of the world at different angles
  • thus, temperature differs between places with higher and lower altitude
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Why does the sun’s rays strike at different angles at different parts of the earth?

A
  • the earth tilts at 23.5 degrees on its own axis
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What does the solar angle refer to?

A
  • is refers to the angle at which the sun’s rays reach the earth
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

How does solar angle affect the concentration of the sun’s rays on an area?

A
  • the higher the solar angle, the more concentrated the sun’s rays are on an area
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What does the earth’s tilt result in?

A
  • it results in some places not receiving sunlight for months
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What is the relationship between temperature and latitude?

A
  • temperatures are lower at higher latitudes due to lower solar angle
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What is altitude defined as?

A
  • the height of a place in relation to the sea level
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What is the relationship between altitude and temperature?

A
  • temperature generally decreases by 6.5 degrees with every 1000 metre increase in altitude
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Why does temperature decrease as altitude increases?

A
  • temperature decreases with increasing altitude as the atmosphere is mostly heated by the earth’s surface
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What is the process of solar energy reaching the earth’s surface?

A
  • solar energy from the sun enters the atmosphere and reaches the earth’s surface in the form of shortwave radiation
  • 45% of shortwave radiation is directly absorbed by the earth’s surface, heating it up
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What is the process of the warm surface of the earth emitting heat?

A
  • the warm surface of the earth emits heat in the form of longwave radiation
  • the higher up the atmosphere, the further the surface of the earth heated by the sun
  • thus, temperature decreases as altitude increases
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Why does air nearer the earth’s surface absorb more heat from longwave radiation than air at higher altitudes?

A
  • the air nearer the surface of the earth is denser compared to air higher up in the atmosphere
  • denser air absorbs more heat from longwave radiation
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

How does longwave radiation warm the earth’s surface?

A
  • longwave radiation is absorbed by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
  • thus, the solar energy is trapped, warming the earth
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

How does distance from the sea affect temperature

A
  • sea heats up and cools down slower than land
  • the difference in the rate of warming and cooling of the sea and land affects the temperature
  • this results in the maritime and continental effects
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

What does the maritime effect refer to?

A
  • it refers to the effect large bodies of water have on the climate of coastal areas
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

What causes coastal areas to have a smaller annual temperature range compared to inland areas?

A
  • during summer, the air over the sea is cooler than the air over the land
  • this is due to the sea cooling down and heating up slower than land
  • the cooler air over the sea helps lower the temperature of coastal areas
  • during winter, the air over the sea is cooler than the air over land
  • refer to pt 2
  • the warmer air over the sea increases the temperature of coastal areas during winter
  • thus, due to the maritime effect, coastal areas receive cooler summers and warmer winters
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

What does the continental effect refer to?

A
  • it refers to the effect continental surfaces have on the climate of inland areas
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

What causes inland areas to have a larger annual temperature range compared to coastal areas?

A
  • inland areas are further from sea
  • thus, their temperatures are not influenced by the sea
  • warmer summers, cooler winters
  • larger annual temperature range
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

Why do some places have the same latitude but different temperatures?

A
  • although latitude strongly affects temperature

- factors such as altitude, distance from sea and cloud cover are also significant in influencing temperature

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

What is relative humidity?

A
  • its the ratio (usually expressed in percentage)
  • its between the actual amount of water vapour present in a mass of air and the maximum amount of water vapour the air can hold at a given temperature
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

How is relative humidity measured?

A
  • sling psychrometer

- consists of a wet bulb thermometer and a dry bulb thermometer

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

What is the formula to calculate relative humidity?

A

relative humidity (%) = (actual amount of water vapour in the air/maximum amount of water vapour the air can hold) x 100%

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

How does temperature affect relative humidity?

A
  • warm air can hold more water vapour than cool air
  • as temperature increases, the amount of water vapour in the air remains the same
  • but the rise in temperature makes the air able to hold more water vapour
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

What happens when the air holds the maximum amount of water vapour it can hold?

A
  • saturation occurs

- saturation occurs when relative humidity is at 100%

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

What is the temperature saturation occurs at known as?

A
  • dew point temperature
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

What first starts to occur at dew point temperature?

A
  • condensation
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
37
Q

What is the process of condensation?

A
  • condensation is a process in which water vapour changes to a liquid form by cooling
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
38
Q

What is a cloud?

A
  • a cloud is a visible mass of water or ice crystals
  • they are suspended in the atmosphere due to the condensation of water vapour
  • the water droplets grow large enough to fall to the earth’s surface
  • this is known as precipitation
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
39
Q

How are clouds formed?

A
  • when the surface of the earth is heated up
  • liquid water evaporates to become water vapour
  • as water vapour rises, it cools
  • when it cools at dew point temperature, condensation occurs when there are tiny particles for the water to condense on
  • tiny particles such as dust, are known at condensation nuclei
  • water droplets in the air will merge and become larger through coalescence
  • cloud are formed
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
40
Q

What is precipitation?

A
  • precipitation refers to water in any form that falls from the atmosphere to the earth’s surface
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
41
Q

What does precipitation include?

A
  • hail
  • snow
  • sleet (mixture of rain and snow)
  • rain
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
42
Q

What is classified as high rainfall and what is classified as low rainfall?

A
  • high rainfall: above 1500 mm
  • low rainfall: below 250 mm
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
43
Q

How is the amount of precipitation measured?

A
  • in millimeters
  • using a rain gauge
44
Q

What does a rain gauge consist of?

A
  • funnel
  • copper cylinder
  • outer casing
  • glass bottle
45
Q

What is rainfall the result of?

A
  • air instability
46
Q

What is air instability?

A
  • it is the tendency of a parcel of air to rise (unstable)
  • instead of remaining in its original position (stable)
  • when a parcel of air is cooler than the surrounding air, it sinks and remains near the ground (stable)
  • when the air is heated, it expands and becomes less dense than the surrounding air and rises (unstable)
47
Q

When does convectional rain occur?

A
  • it occurs when the earth’s surface is heated intensely
48
Q

Where does convectional rain mainly occur and why?

A
  • they receive a great amount of sunlight
  • the tropics
49
Q

What is the process of convectional rain?

A
  • as the sun’s energy heats up the earth’s surface
  • the warm surface heats the air surrounding it
  • the air becomes unstable, causing it to rise
  • as the air rises, its temperature begins to drop
  • when the rising air cools to dew point temperature, condensation occurs and clouds are formed
  • when the water droplets become large and heavy enough, they fall to the ground as rain
50
Q

What is convectional rain associated with?

A
  • lightning
  • thunder
51
Q

How long does convectional rain last?

A
  • a short period of time
  • it brings intense rainfall over an area
52
Q

When does relief rain occur

A
  • relief rain occurs when warm, moist air is forced to rise over landforms
  • e.g. mountain range
53
Q

What is the process of relief rain?

A
  • moist air passes over the sea and arrives at the coast
  • the air rises up the windward side of the mountain and is forced to cool
  • when the temperature reaches dew point temperature, condensation occurs and clouds are formed
  • when the water droplets become large and heavy, they fall as rain on the windward side of the mountain, where the air has risen
54
Q

What happens on the leeward side of the mountain?

A
  • its usually dry
  • most of the moisture would have fallen on the windward side
55
Q

What is air pressure?

A
  • the force exerted on a unit area of the earth’s surface by the weight of a column of air above it
  • we do not notice it as clearly as temperature, but its effects are felt
56
Q

How is air pressure measured?

A
  • barometer
  • measured in millibars
57
Q

What is the average sea level value of air pressure?

A
  • 1013 mb
58
Q

What is considered high and low air pressure?

A
  • high: above sea level value
  • low: below sea level value
59
Q

What is the relationship between air pressure and altitude?

A
  • air pressure decreases as altitude increases
60
Q

Why does air pressure decrease as altitude increases?

A
  • air is denser at lower altitudes as it tends to be more compressed at lower elevations
  • where the larger overlying mass exerts a large gravitational force
61
Q

What is wind?

A
  • it is a movement of air when it moves from an area of high pressure to one of low pressure
62
Q

What is pressure gradient?

A
  • it is the difference in air pressure between 2 locations
63
Q

What is the relationship between wind speed and pressure gradient?

A
  • the greater the difference in air pressure, the faster the wind speed
64
Q

How is wind described?

A

in terms of
- speed
- direction
- frequency

65
Q

What is wind speed?

A
  • the rate at which air is moving and is measured in kilometers per hour
66
Q

How is wind speed represented?

A
  • an anemometer
  • beaufort scale (refer to tb pg 160)
67
Q

What is the Beaufort scale?

A
  • it is a scale for measuring wind speed based on observations of the impacts of wind on land
68
Q

What does wind direction refer to?

A
  • it refers to the direction from which the wind blows
69
Q

What is used to determine wind direction?

A
  • wind vane
70
Q

If the wind is blowing from south-southwest, in which direction will the wind vane point in?

A
  • south-southwest
71
Q

What does wind frequency refer to?

A
  • the percentage of time the wind blows from a particular direction
72
Q

What are prevailing winds?

A
  • winds that blow frequently from a specific direction
73
Q

How are wind direction and frequency recorded?

A
  • wind roses
74
Q

What is land breeze?

A
  • wind that blows from the land to sea
75
Q

How is land breeze formed?

A
  • it is formed by differences in air pressure
  • due to the different rates sea and land heat up and cool down at
  • the land loses heat or cools down faster than sea bodies at night
  • thus, the sea has a higher temperature and lower pressure while the land has a lower temperature and higher pressure
  • as the air moves from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure, land breeze is formed that blows from land to sea and night
76
Q

What is sea breeze?

A
  • wind that blows from sea to land
77
Q

How is sea breeze formed?

A
  • differences in air pressure
  • due to the different rates land and sea cool down and heat up at
  • in the day, land heats up faster than sea
  • as a result, the air pressure over land is lower than that over sea
  • thus, wind blows from sea to land during day forming sea breeze
78
Q

What are monsoons?

A
  • regional wind patterns that reverse directions seasonally
79
Q

What do these direction changes result in?

A
  • seasonal changes in precipitation
80
Q

What are monsoon winds or other winds affected by?

A
  • coriolis effect
81
Q

What is the coriolis effect?

A
  • a force produced by the earth’s rotation
82
Q

How does the earth’s rotation affect the coriolis effect?

A
  • as the earth rotates
  • coriolis effect changes the course of moving objects on the earth’s surface
  • causes deflection/bending of the winds
  • coriolis effect changes the course of moving objects
83
Q

Where is the coriolis effect the strongest, and where is it the weakest?

A
  • strongest near the poles
  • weak in the tropics
  • felt at the equator
84
Q

What happens to winds in the northern hemisphere?

A
  • winds deflect to the right
85
Q

What happens to winds in the southern hemisphere?

A
  • winds deflect to the left (opposite of what happens in the northern hemisphere)
86
Q

When do the southwest monsoons occur?

A
  • between june and september
  • this is when it is summer in the northern hemisphere
87
Q

What is the process of the southwest monsoon?

A
  • air over Central Asia heats up, expands and rises → region of low pressure over the area
  • southern hemisphere: experiencing winter → low temperature → air to be cold and dense → exerts a greater force on the earth’s surface → high pressure over Australia
    difference in pressure between Central Asia and Australia → air from Australia moves to the Indian sub-continent and Central Asia as southeast monsoon winds → as winds cross to the equator, the Coriolis effect deflects the winds to the right → winds became the southwest monsoon winds and warms up as they head to Central Asia → warm air picks up moisture as it travels over the Indian ocean → brings heavy rain to the Indian sub-continent
88
Q

When does the northeast monsoon occur?

A
  • between october and febuary
  • when it is summer in the southern hemisphere (cuases an area of low pressure to form over australia)
89
Q

What is the process of the northeast monsoon?

A
  • northern hemisphere: experiencing winter → area of high pressure develops over the Indian sub-continent and Central Asia
  • difference in pressure → air moves from the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia to Australia as the northeast monsoon winds → generally dry and cold as they blow across cold land → as the winds cross the Equator, the Coriolis effect deflects the winds to the left → winds become the northwest monsoon winds and warm up as they head for Australia → warm air picks up moisture as it travels over the Indian Ocean and brings heavy rain to Australia
90
Q

What are the different climate types?

A
  • equatorial
  • monsoon
  • cool temperate
91
Q

Where are the different climate types found?

A
  • equatorial: concentrated mostly 10 degrees north and south of the equator
  • monsoon: usually located bewteen 5 degrees and 25 degrees north and south of the equator
  • cool temperate: usually located near coastal areas found between 40 and 60 degrees north and south of the equator
92
Q

What countries are these climate types found in?

A
  • equatorial: Southeast Asia, Northwestern Brazil, Congo Basin, Indonesia
  • monsoon: Chittagong, Bangladesh, Mumbai (India)
  • cool temperate: London (England), Vancouver (Canada)
93
Q

How does one describe climographs?

A
  • Mean annual temperature
  • Annual temperature range
  • Total annual rainfall/precipitation
  • Seasonal distribution
  • remember MATS
94
Q

How is temperature described in climographs?

A
  • Mean annual temperature: high, moderate, low
  • temperature range: large, small
95
Q

What constitutes as high, moderate and low in mean annual temperature?

A
  • high: more than 20 degrees celsius per month
  • moderate: 10 - 19 degrees celsius per month
  • low: 0 to 9 degrees celsius per month
96
Q

What constitues as large and small in temperature range?

A
  • large: more than 10 degrees celsius per day/month/year
  • small: less than 10 degrees celsius per day/month/year
97
Q

How is rainfall described in climographs?

A
  • high
  • moderate
  • low
98
Q

What constitutes as high, moderate or low rainfall?

A
  • high: more than 1000mm
  • moderate: 250 to 1000mm
  • low: below 250mm
99
Q

What is the latitude of Singapore?

A
  • 1°22’N
100
Q

What is Singapore’s climate type?

A
  • equatorial
101
Q

What are the characteristics of SIngapore’s climate?

A
  • uniformly high temperatures
  • abundant rainfall
  • high relative humidity
102
Q

How is Singapore’s mean annual temperature described as and what is it?

A
  • high
  • 27.5 degrees celsius
103
Q

How is Singapore’s total annual rainfall described as and what is it?

A
  • high
  • about 2200mm
104
Q

What is Singapore’s mean annual relative humidity?

A
  • 84.2%
  • air very humid
105
Q

What is the total monthly rainfall in Singapore during the northeast monsoon?

A
  • 1125mm
106
Q

What is the total monthly rainfall in SIngapore during the southwest monsoon?

A
  • 600mm

Full geog (12 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions