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Geography > Climate Change > Flashcards

Climate Change Flashcards

1
Q

Air pressure

A

Force exerted on a surface by the weight of the air

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2
Q

High pressure features?
Low pressure features?

A

Air sinks, dry conditions
Air rises, cools and condenses, high rain

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3
Q

3 cells in the tri-cellular model and their latitudes?

A

Hadley cell 0-30
Ferrel cell 30-60
Polar cell 60-90

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4
Q

Why is it cold at the poles and warm at equator? (air)

A

There is a surplus of heat at equator, air rises and moves north and south. As it reaches poles it sinks and flows back to equator as surface winds.

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5
Q

What happens at the equator in the tri-cellular model?

A

Low pressure, warm temps cause air to rise- called ITCZ. Air condenses, causes rain
TRFs

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6
Q

What happens at 30 degrees in the tri-cellular model?

A

Air spreads from the equator to the North and South, when at the top of the troposphere. High pressure, air cools and sinks, dry
Deserts

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7
Q

What happens at 60 degrees in the tri-cellular model?

A

Low pressure, air rises, rainy

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8
Q

What happens at 90 degrees in the tri-cellular model?

A

Cool air sinks, high pressure, dry

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9
Q

Jet streams
What?
Why are they caused?
What causes their direction?
Which ones are located where?

A

Currents of air travelling very fast, can move cells
Differences in temp and pressure
Coriolis effect
Subtropical-> between Hadley and Ferrel cell
Polar-> between Ferrel and Polar cell

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10
Q

Coriolis force?

A

Deflection of air movement by the Earth’s rotation

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11
Q

Surface winds in northern hemisphere are deflected?
Surface winds in southern hemisphere are deflected?

A

To their right

To their left
Both to the west

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12
Q

Surface winds called..
between 0-30?
between 30-60?
between 60-90?

A

Trade winds
Westerlies
Polar easterlies

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13
Q

Thermohaline circulation def?

A

Flow of the ocean to the North and South due to the heat of the equator

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14
Q

What do ocean currents do?

A

Transfer heat from the equator towards poles. Driven by water sinking and rising due to changes in temp, deflected by the Coriolis Force

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15
Q

Ice Age?

A

A period of long-term low Earth temps, creating ice sheets and glaciers all year round

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16
Q

Glacials

A

Periods of cold climates where ice presence is expanding

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17
Q

Interglacials

A

Period of warm climates where ice presence is decreasing

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18
Q

Trend of the Earth’s temp change since last Ice Age?

A

Increases at different rates through time. Significant increase recently (1960s)

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19
Q

3 natural causes of climate change

A

Milankovitch cycles, solar variation, volcanism

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20
Q

3 Milankovitch cycles and description

A

Eccentricity- Earth’s orbit isn’t always circular. More oval, Earth is slightly cooler (glacial). More circular, Earth is slightly warmer (interglacial)
Axial tilt- Earth’s tilt can vary from 22.1-24.5 degrees. Smaller tilt, less significant season change. Current 23.5, great difs
Precession- direction of Earth’s axis changes, creates difs in summer and winter.

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21
Q

Solar variation affecting the Earth

A

Stronger solar radiation=interglacial
Weaker solar radiation=glacial

22
Q

Volcanism
Short term?
Long term?

A

Ash blocks sun=colder
Greenhouse gases e.g CO2= warmer climate

23
Q

Glacial retreat
How is it measured?
How it shows climate change?
Ad?
Dis?

A

Taking photos of glaciers over many years
Glaciers melt as temps rise, causes retreat
Easy to measure
Shows recent evidence

24
Q

Tree rings (dendroclimatology)
How is it measured?
How it shows climate change?
Ad?
Dis?

A

Cutting trees, comparing size of rings inside
Size changes depending on temp, warm year=wider ring
Long evidence
Trees have to be cut down

25
Q

Ice cores
How is it measured?
How it shows climate change?
Ad?
Dis?

A

Drilling ice cylinders, measure conc of gases
Shows greenhouse gases present at time of snow fall
Long evidence
Needs expensive equipment

26
Q

Pollen analysis
How is it measured?
How it shows climate change?
Ad?
Dis?

A

Pollen grains are preserved in waterlogged sediments
Shows ecosystems responses to climate change
Long evidence
Based on plant life

27
Q

Historical artefacts
How is it measured?
How it shows climate change?
Ad?
Dis?

A

Diary entries of extreme weather, landscape paintings
Shows periods of extreme cold, e.g little ice age
Idea of life
Could be biased

28
Q

Natural greenhouse effect
What happens to radiation?

A

Earth absorbs some solar radiation, most of the rest is reflected into space with a small amount reabsorbed

29
Q

Enhanced greenhouse effect
What happens to radiation?

A

Earth absorbs some solar radiation, a small amount of the rest is reflected into space with a large amount reabsorbed

30
Q

Farming producing greenhouse gases?
What gas?
Statistic?

A

Increased pop requires more crops, rice fields produce methane
Rice produces 10% of global methane emissions

31
Q

Energy producing greenhouse gases?
What gas?
Statistic?

A

Increased pop requires more energy, produced by burning fossil fuels, releases carbon dioxide
Largest emitter of carbon dioxide

32
Q

Transport producing
greenhouse gases?
What gas?
Statistic?

A

Increased use of long distance flights, burns fossil fuels, releases carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide
Transport produced 26% of UK’s total emissions in 2021

33
Q

Product consumption producing greenhouse gas?
What gas?
Statistic?

A

Growth in industry sector, burns fossil fuels, produces carbon dioxide
Produced 12% of combustion emissions in 2021

34
Q

Changing patterns of crop yields meaning?
Areas most at risk?

A

Change in the amount of crops produced
Regions around the equator e.g Tanzania

35
Q

Rising sea levels
Areas most at risk?

A

Low lying areas e.g Maldives

36
Q

Retreating glaciers
3 effects it will cause?

A

Rising sea levels
Gulf stream diverted due to cold water affecting circulation
Could lead to flooding, then water shortages in areas close to glaciers

37
Q

3 effects of climate change on people?
Including statistics

A

-Tuvalu evacuated people to New Zealand due to rising sea levels
-Spread of malaria increases due to rising temps e.g in Somalia
-Increase forest fires specifically in Australia

38
Q

3 effects of climate change on the environment?
Including statistics

A

-Melting ice in north Russia causes polar bears to struggle for food
-Great Barrier Reef predicted to die in 30 years due to warmer oceans
-Increase forest fires specifically in Australia

39
Q

UK climate over past 1000 years?

A

-Medieval warm period, high temps, increased pop, high crop yield
-Little Ice Age, low temps, Thames froze, low crop yields

40
Q

Rainfall in the UK
General rain?
Westest?

A

Wet
Wettest in west and highlands

41
Q

Temp in UK
Warmest?
Fact across UK?

A

Lower latitudes and lower altitudes
In summer Scotland is around 3oc colder than England

42
Q

Severe weather in UK
Snow common in?
Strong wind in?

A

Snow common in highlands
Winds in Scotland are strong from winds from Atlantic Ocean

43
Q

North west weather?
North east weather?
South east weather?
South west weather?

A

Always cool, heavy rain all year
Always cool, rain all year
Warm summers, cool winters, rain all year
Warm summers, cool winters, heavy rain all year

44
Q

6 factors that affect the UK’s climate

A

Relief rainfall, proximity to oceans, air masses, circulation cells, north atlantic drift, latitude `

45
Q

What is relief rainfall?
How does it affect the UK?

A

Warm, wet winds arrive from Atlantic Ocean. Air rises up to pass over hills, every 100m up, -1oc. Vapour condenses, precipitation. Air moves downhill, becomes warmer and blows over East, regaining moisture so no rain.

46
Q

What is the UK’s prevailing wind direction?

A

South west

47
Q

What is latitude?
How does it affect the UK?

A

Higher latitude= further from equator
Warmer in South (low latitude), as sunlight travels shorter distance and hits smaller area due to curve of Earth

48
Q

What is the North Atlantic Drift?
How does it affect the UK?

A

Ocean current in North Atlantic that brings warm water to the UK, makes UK warmer

49
Q

How do circulation cells affect the UK?

A

UK is between Ferrel and Polar cells, low pressure, mainly wet. Weather is inconsistent due to air being from either Polar or Ferrel

50
Q

What are air masses?
5 types?

A

Large bodies of air with the same conditions
Arctic maritime, Polar continental, Polar maritime, Tropical continental, Tropical maritime

51
Q

Air masses, where are they from, what do they do?
Arctic maritime?
Polar maritime?
Polar continental?
Tropical maritime?
Tropical continental?

A

Arctic maritime- Arctic, wet, coldest air, snow in winter
Polar maritime- Greenland, wet, cold air, cold showers
Polar continental- Central Europe, hot air= dry summer, cold air = snowy winter
Tropical maritime- Atlantic, warm, moist air, clouds and rain
Tropical continental- North Africa, hot, dry air, hot summers

52
Q

What is the distance from sea?
How does it affect the UK?

A

Land heats up faster than sea, and cools down more slowly
Ocean warms up coastal places in winter, cools them down in summer

Geography (14 decks)

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