Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

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


See full index

Science > Weather/Climate > Flashcards

Weather/Climate Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

What is Weather ?

A

The specific day-day conditions in an area

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

What is climate?

A

The average of conditions in an area over time

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

Factors affecting climate (4) :

A

Latitude
Elevation
Air masses
Nearness to large bodies of water

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

What is Latitude give an example:

A

Latitude is the angle measured north to south from the equator
EX: Canada is colder than the United States

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

What is elevation? Give an example:

A

The height of land measured above sea level
EX: Mount Everest has the highest elevation number

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is air masses? Give an example :

A

Large portions of air with uniform temperature and humidity
EX: there is humid air in America

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What is nearness to large bodies of water? Give an Example:

A

Keeps the temperature more consistent
EX: we get a lot of snow because we are closer to a lot of water

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What causes weather?

A

All weather on earth is caused by energy coming from the sun(solar radiation)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What drives weather processes?

A

Infrared radiation, the only electromagnetic radiation from the sun that provides heat

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What are the percents of suns energy hitting earth?

A

70% is absorbed
30% is reflected

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

What is insolation? Give an example:

A

Is the amount of solar energy hitting an area
EX: it is greater at the equator then the poles because the suns rays hit the equator most, why it’s so hot

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What is albedo? Give an example:

A

The ability a material has to reflect light and heat
EX: snow has high albedo, while a rock doesn’t

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What are the 3 components of a biosphere?

A

Lithosphere
Hydrosphere
Atmosphere

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Where does weather happen?

A

In the earths biosphere

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What is lithosphere?

A

Solid part of the earth

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What is hydrosphere?

A

Liquid part of the earth

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What is atmosphere?

A

Gas part of the earth, affect by climate

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What is a carbon source? Give an example:

A

Is any process that releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
EX: a land fill releases a lot of carbon dioxide because of all the decaying

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What do carbon sources affect?

A

Global warming, by adding more greenhouse gasses that trap in the suns heat

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What is carbon sink? Give an example:

A

Is any process that takes carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and stores it
EX: plants hold carbon dioxide in their tissues.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What does carbon sink affect?

A

Global warming, the more carbon sinks the less greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere of to trap heat

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What are the 3 main greenhouse gasses:

A

Carbon dioxide
Methane
Nitrous oxide

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What is global warming potential?

A

The ability of a gas to trap thermal energy over time

24
Q

What is persistence?

A

The length of time a gas remains in the atmosphere

25
Q

What does anthropogenic mean?

A

The human activity producing climate change

26
Q

What is atmospheric pressure?

A

The weight of the atmosphere pushing down on earth

27
Q

What happens to altitude when atmospheric pressure decreases?

A

Altitude increases

28
Q

What is used to measure atmospheric pressure?

A

A barometer

29
Q

What happens when pressure drops or rises

A

If dropped poor weather is to come
If rises good weather is to come

30
Q

What is humidity?

A

When water vapour is in the air

31
Q

What is a condensation nuclei?

A

When water droplets form around little particles

32
Q

What does the formation of droplets depend on?

A

The temperature of air (warm air has more vapour then cold air)

And
The amount of water vapour in the air(humidity)

33
Q

What is a cloud/fog?

A

Is a formation of water droplets which join to form larger water droplets that then get to heavy and fall as rain

34
Q

When do clouds form?

A

When warm, moist air rises and cools

35
Q

How can air be forced up?

A

Land forms
Cold or warm air fronts
Convection

36
Q

What are the 3 main types of clouds:

A

Cumulus
Stratus
cirrus

37
Q

What is a cumulus cloud?

A

Big “fluffy” often has a flat base

38
Q

What is a Stratus cloud?

A

Flat, covers a large area, gives an overcast look

39
Q

What is. Cirrus cloud?

A

“Wispy”, high altitude, made of ice crystals

40
Q

What are clouds with precipitation called?

A

Nimbus

41
Q

When does precipitation happen? What does it depend on?

A

When air cools and becomes saturated with water Vapour, it depends on temperature in the different layers of air

42
Q

What is the formation of freezing rain?

A

When freezing air is so thin that water droplets don’t have enough time to freeze fully before hitting the ground

43
Q

What is a hailstone?

A

It is a form of precipitation consisting of ice, which is form in a thunderstorm updraft

44
Q

What is sea breeze?

A

When air on land gets warm and rises leaving an area with low pressure that then air from the cold sea blows in and fills the area creating a breeze

45
Q

What is a land breeze?

A

At night when the sea is warmer then the land the sea cold air rises leaving a spot with low pressure that then cool land air moves in and fills the area creating a breeze

46
Q

What is thermal energy?

A

The total kinetic energy of the moving particles in a substance

47
Q

What is temperature?

A

The measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles of a substance

48
Q

What is heat?

A

The transfer of thermal energy from one substance to another

49
Q

What are the 3 ways heat transfers?

A

Conduction
Convection
Radiation

50
Q

What is conduction?

A

The process when heat is transmitted through a substance when there is a difference of temperature

51
Q

What is convection?

A

When the movement of fluids temperature increases, and the density lowers

52
Q

What is radiation?

A

Is when thermal energy is carried as electromagnetic radiation.(infrared radiation)

53
Q

The 4 Layers of earths atmosphere:

A

Troposphere
Stratosphere
Mesosphere
Thermosphere

54
Q

What is a biome?

A

A large area with a defined range of temperature and precipitation

55
Q

The 6 Biomes:

A

Tundra
Teliga Bore Forest
Temperate Deciduous Forest
Temperate Grassland
Temperate Coniferous Forest
Mountains

56
Q

What does a climateograph do?

A

Shows the monthly average of temperatures and precipitation totals of an area

Lines-temperature
Bars-precipitation

Science (1 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions