Weather Geography Flashcards
What are the 6 elements that affect weather
- Temperature
- Relative humidity
- Clouds
- Rainfall
- Air pressure
- Wind
Weather definition
Weather refers to the conditions of the atmosphere at a specific place over a relatively short period of time.
Climate definition
Climate refers to the atmospheric conditions of a specific place over a considerable period of time, usually
30 to 35 years.
Talk briefly about how temperature is measured and how frequently
Temperature is regularly measured and recorded around the world. Temperature is measured using an analogue or digital thermometer.
What is temperature determined by?
energy from the sun which reaches earth
Weather vs Climate. what is a simple but main difference?
Climate remains largely unchanged, but weather may change from day to day.
define temperature
Temperature is the degree of hotness or coldness of a place.
Explain the heat energy travel from the Sun to earth and what it does!
Energy from the sun mostly travels through the atmosphere and is absorbed by the earth’s surface. This causes the earth’s surface to warm up, which in turn heats the atmosphere.
What are the 4 things temperature help us to measure?
- Mean temperatures
- Temperature range for each month
- Minimum temperatures
- Maximum temperatures
What are the two ways temp can be reported (2 units)
Celcius (C)
Fahrenheit
How to calculate mean daily temp?
Sum of hourly temp/24 hours
How to calculate diurnal temp range?
(max daily temp) - (min daily temp)
Mean monthly temp
(Sum of MEAN daily temperature in the month) / no. of days in the month
Annual temp range
(max mean month temp) - (min mean month temp)
Mean annual temp
Sum of MEAN monthly temp / 12 months
define isotherms
Isotherms are a type of contour line that connects points of equal temperature on a map
isotherms are useful tools for 2 things! What are they?
1.Visualising the temperature distribution in a particular region
2.Visualising how much temperature changes per unit distance (eg. kilometre) and in which direction
If isotherms are very close to one another it means….
If isotherms are further away from each other it means….
1.temperature changes rapidly in small distances.
2.temperatures don’t change rapidly over small distances.
what are the factors that affect temperature?
- latitude
- altitude
- distance from the sea
- cloud cover
- microclimate
what are latitudes?
Latitudes are imaginary lines that run in an east-west direction.
What is the angle the earth is tilted at? and as a result what happens?
23.5° on its own axis. As a result, the sun’s rays strike various parts of the world at different angles.
draw link between angle of incidence and insolation and this results in…
- Angle of Incidence: The angle at which sunlight hits Earth’s surface, varying by latitude.
- Higher at lower latitudes (near the equator) = more direct, concentrated sunlight.
- Lower at higher latitudes (near poles) = spread-out, weaker sunlight.
- Insolation: The solar energy received by an area, influenced by latitude.
- Lower latitudes = more insolation.
- Higher latitudes = less insolation.
State the relationship between equator and the temp of the nearby countries.
The nearer to the equator, the greater the temp.
what affects the temperature of coastal and inland areas?
- The sea heats up and cools down more slowly than the land
- The difference in the rate of heating and cooling of the sea and land is what effects the temp.
define humidity
Humidity is the amount of water vapour in the air.
If there is a lot of water vapour in the air…
The higher the humidity…
… the humidity will be high
… the wetter it feels outside
On weather reports, humidity is usually explained as
relative humidity.
effects of thick cloud cover
- Daytime: Thick clouds reflect some incoming shortwave radiation, preventing excessive heating of the land.
- Nighttime: Clouds trap outgoing longwave radiation, reducing temperature drops.
- Overall: In equatorial regions with high humidity, this leads to a smaller temperature range between day and night.
Why is it that the higher the humidity, the more clouds there are?
because clouds are formed from the condensation of water vapour into water droplets.
what is the Impact of Low Humidity and Cloud Cover on Temperature Variation in Deserts
- Low humidity and minimal cloud cover cause excessive daytime heating.
- Lack of clouds at night leads to significant heat loss and large temperature drops. At night, much of the outgoing longwave radiation is lost
freely back into space. - Deserts experience a wide diurnal temperature range due to these factors.
the term ‘urban heat island’ is used to describe…
the slightly higher temperatures in the urban areas.
what does Microclimate refer to?
Microclimate refers to the climate of a very small area or a specific environment/place—e.g. a city, a rural town, a forested area or open space.
What is Maritime effect?
Talk about:
1. definition
2. summer
3. winter
Maritime effect refers to the influence of oceans on coastal climate, causing a smaller temperature range.
Summer: Cooler sea air leads to cooler coastal temperatures. (sea gains heat slower than land)
Winter: Warmer sea air results in warmer coastal temperatures. (sea looses heat slower than land)
Overall Impact: Coastal areas have cooler summers and warmer winters, smaller temparature range
What is continental effect?
Continental effect refers to how land surfaces influence climate in inland areas.
Summer: Warmer air in inland area leads to warmer summers and higher temperatures. (land gains heat faster than sea)
Winter: Cooler sea air results in cooler temperatures and thus, cooler winters. (land looses heat faster than sea)
Overall Impact: Inland areas have warmer summers and cooler winters, larger temparature range
Impact of Maritime and Continental Effects on Coastal and Inland Climate
- Coastal areas have cooler summers and warmer winters -> moderating effect of onshore winds -> bring cool air in summer and warm air in winter.
- Coastal areas experience the maritime effect (smaller temperature range).
- Inland areas, without this wind moderation, have hotter summers and colder winters.
- Inland areas experience the continental effect (larger temperature range).
