weather hazards - part 1 Flashcards
What affect does the shape of the earth have on the suns rays?
at the equator the suns rays are more concentrated as the sun is at a high angle however closer to the poles it is less concentrated due to the low angle.
the definition ‘the force exerted onto the earths surface by the weight of the air’ describes what key word ?
Air pressure
When there is low air pressure, the cold air sinks. is this statement correct ?
no when there is low pressure warm air rises, it then condenses and falls in the form precipitation
Does high pressure cause gloomy skies or clear skies?
It creates clear skies
What are the three types of cells in the circulationary system ?
hadley cell, ferral cell and polor cell
What is the Coriolis effect ?
the spinning of he earth makes winds curve to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere
What’s a climate zone?
large areas that experience a similar patten of temperature and precipitation.
What are the 5 factors that affect temperature?
- albedo effect
- cloud cover
-winds
-ocean currents
-altitude (height)
Where was the hottest place ever recorded and at what temperature ?
Lut Dessert and at a temperature of 70.7 degrees
What doe the word L.A.W.S stand for when describing climate?
l- latitude
a- altitude
w- prevailing wind distance
s -distance from the sea
(ocean currents is also included)
Where was the coldest place ever recorded and at what temperature?
in the Atlantic and -89.2 degrees
What are trade winds?
Trade winds move from high pressure belts to low pressure belts. Named after historically ships used to navigate the Atlantic ocean
What type of winds are caused by air flowing gently. in the Antarctica large ice sheets sloping downhill into the sea contribute to wind speeds of the over 320 km/h
Kabatic winds
What type of winds are high up in the atmosphere and are very strong as there is little to slow the down. wind speeds of 225km/h were recorded on mount Everest because it is high up it reaches the jet stream.
jet streams
What are the 3 types of rainfall?
relief rainfall
frontal rainfall
convectional rainfall
How many continents are there and can you name them all ?
there are 7:
north America
south America
Europe
Africa
Asia
Oceania
Antarctica
what are the names of the main 4 oceans?
Pacific ocean
Atlantic ocean
Indian ocean
Southern ocean
What does an EDC country stand for ?
Emerging developing country
What is it called when heavy rain is a result of seasonal winds, in southern Asia between may and September?
monsoon
Whats a rain shadow?
an area or regain behind a hill that has little rainfall because its sheltered from rain bearing winds
Is temperature short or long term ?
short term. long term would be climate
explain the global circulation system
air circulates around the Hadley cell. air at the equator warms, becomes less dense and rises into the atmosphere. here, it cools and condenses to form clouds. this forms a low pressure belt and an area of high rainfall. as air reaches the top of the atmosphere, it moves out to 30 degrees north and 30 degrees south of the equator. here, the air cools , becomes denser and sinks. clouds do not form, resulting in an area of low rainfall. this forms a high pressure belt. winds that move back towards the equator called trade winds and winds that move back towards higher altitude are called westerlies. the air now moves from high to low pressure.
What do the bars on a climate graph represent ?
average rainfall
What does the line mean on a climate graph ?
average temperature
What is relief rainfall ?
1)air is forced over mountains and clouds (from sea)
2) water vapour condenses and forms clouds
3)air denseness and warms again
4) no rain on this side - rain shadow
When air rises what is it called ?
Evaporation
What is it called when water falls from the sky is different forms?
Precipitation
What is convection rainfall?
1) the suns energy heats the ground below
2) the land heads the air above which rises quickly through convection ( warm air rising)
3) as the air rises it cools rapidly
4) large clouds develop the rising air which can lead to heavy rain and thunderstorms
Is cold air more or less dense?
more dense therefore it sinks
does hot air rise or sink?
It rises
explain frontal rainfall
1) a cold air mass is denser and moves air along the ground
2) the warm air mass is forced to rise above the cold air mass
3) as the warm air rises it cools and condenses producing cloud and rainfall
What key word does this definition link to ? ‘a powerful, rotating storm in the tropics (also known as a cyclone, hurricane or typhoon)
tropical storms
What is the scale used to measure tropical storms?
Saffir- Simpson scale
What category has a storm surge of 1?
category 3
How many categories does the Saffir- Simpson scale have?
5 categories
What happens during an El Nino year?
El Nino events are related to weaker trade winds an lead to warmer than usual sea surface temperatures in the pacific ocean. They cause droughts in such areas as Asia and Australia.
What happens during an La Nina year ?
LA Nina events are related to stronger trade winds and lead to cooler than usual sea surface temperatures in the pacific ocean. they can cause droughts in such areas as Peru and California.
