Weather & climate

Question 1

What is the weather

Answer 1

Daily atmospheric conditions outside

Question 2

What is climate

Answer 2

General or average weather conditions of a region over a longer period

Question 3

What is climate very important in

Answer 3

Determining vegetation, soils, animals (fauna) of a region

Question 4

What are some different climate weather conditions

Answer 4

Drought, hurricanes, tornadoes, ice storms, blizzards, wildfires, windstorms etc

Question 5

What is latitude

Answer 5

Measurement of distance north or south from the equator in degrees and minutes

Question 6

How much kilometres wide is each degree of latitude

Answer 6

110 km wide

Question 7

What does latitude determine

Answer 7

Amount of sunlight a place receives

Question 8

What is altitude

Answer 8

Elevation of earth surface.

The higher the elevation the cooler the temp

Question 9

What is solar energy

Answer 9

Amount of sunlight reaching the earths surface. Lower latitudes receive higher months of solar energy

Question 10

What are global air masses an air pressure systems

Answer 10

In BC we get air masses from the last which is from the wind coming from the ocean. In the winter we can get air coming from the Arctic.

Question 11

Air masses?

Answer 11

Large bodies of air w/ similar temp and humidity

Question 12

Marine air masses?

Answer 12

Develop over large water bodies - moist weighed eg. Pacific Ocean (water evaporates if it’s warm enough)

Question 13

Continental air mass

Answer 13

Develops over large land areas (dry warm or dry cold) eg. Interior regions of North America.

Question 14

What heats up more rapidly than water

Answer 14

Land

Question 15

Bc has 3 main types of climate regions

Answer 15

1. Pacific (west coast)
2. Cordilleran (mountainous and interior areas away from the coast)
3. Boreal (north east)

Question 16

Pacific climate

Answer 16

Warm cool summers, mild wet winters. High precipitation levels.

Question 17

Cordilleran (west coast)

Answer 17

Cooler temp as you rise elevation - more continental air masses

Question 18

Boreal

Answer 18

Cool summers, cold winters. Low annual precipitation

Question 19

Orographic percipitation

Answer 19

Effect that effects precipitation.

West win move over Pacific Ocean coming towards us, absorbing moisture and ocean evaporates.

Moisture air approaches mountains in west coast. (Insular mountains on VANCOUVER ISLAND)

Once it’s approaches mountains it rises to get over mountains.

As it rises it cools and contracts causing condensation in form of rainfall

Question 20

Rainfall occurs most where

Answer 20

West slip of mountains

Question 21

What areas get less rainfall

Answer 21

Victoria, gulf islands, white rock, Lytton, lillooet, Kamloops

Question 22

Soils

Answer 22

Breaking down of rock and minerals. Formed with some organic materials.

Question 23

Soil horizon

Answer 23

Different layers in soil

O horizon - undecayed organic material (leaves, branches, grass etc)haven’t decomposed yet - top layer

A horizon - 2nd layer - decayed organic matter- a lot of nutrients. Ppl use this on top of their soil

B horizon - mineral layer - a lot of plants get minerals from this layer

C horizon - parent material - solid rock - soil came from this material

Question 24

Vegetation patterns are closely tired to

Answer 24

Soils and climate

Question 25

If you leave a land bare what u first get

Answer 25

Pioneer plants (grass, weeds, annual plants)

Question 26

Second plant over time you get

Answer 26

Bigger more heartier plants (perennial plants and grasses)

Question 27

3rd plant you get

Answer 27

Shrubs (woody pioneers)

Question 28

4th plant

Answer 28

Short-lived pioneer trees (young forest)

Question 29

5th plant

Answer 29

(Mature forest) climax forest - big trees

Question 30

Biomes ?

Answer 30

Large areas of similar groups of major climax species and associated climate (tundra, boreal forest, desert, tropical forest, rainforest, grasslands etc)

Question 31

Biogeoclimatic zone

Answer 31

In bc, biomes are divided into biogeoclimatic zone

Question 32

Seeing a biogeoclimatic zone maps help with what

Answer 32

Where certain animals would be. Certain trees would be.where mountains are

Question 33

What causes climate change

Answer 33

-tilt of earths axis, earths rotation
(Changes sunlight in certain areas-just a theory)
-major catastrophes - asteroid & volcanoes
(Huge dust and smoke into atmosphere - sunlight gets blocked - cooling affect)
-greenhouse gases Are rising & absorbing heat from earth
(Carbon dioxide, burning fossil fuel (oil & coal & natural gas), agriculture & methane more heat absorbing that carbon dioxide (decomposition, manure)

Question 34

How is it affecting our province

Answer 34

Getting drier. Losing mountains. Vegetation increasing. Sea level rise because glaciers melting. Water shortages in lower mainland. Less snow on mountains. More wildfires in okanagan.

Question 35

Other expected climate change

Answer 35

• hotter summer temp
• grow fruit
• more invasive species (different plants, insect & animals)
• more frequent storms and more flooding
• salmons would go away cause they need cold water for oxygen level