Y8 Weather & Climate

Question 1

What do we mean by the term weather?

Answer 1

The day to day conditions of the atmosphere.

Question 2

What do we mean by the term climate?

Answer 2

Average weather conditions taken over a number of years.

Question 3

3 examples of weather

Answer 3

Rain, wind, temperature

Question 4

How does altitude (height above sea level) impact temperatures in the UK?

Answer 4

There is a 1 degree Celsius drop in temperature for every 100m increase in height.

Question 5

What is the prevailing wind direction in the UK?

Answer 5

The UK’s prevailing (dominant) wind direction is from the south west, coming over the Atlantic ocean.

Question 6

How does the tilt of the Earth impact the weather and climate in the UK?

Answer 6

The Earth is tilted 23.5 degrees Celsius on it’s axis and this means we have seasons. We are tilted towards the sun in summer, and away from the sun in winter.

Question 7

How does latitude (distance from equator) affect temperatures in the UK?

Answer 7

Temperatures drop the further a country is from the equator because of the curvature of the Earth.

Question 8

How does distance from the sea affect inland and coastal temperatures in the UK?

Answer 8

The sea is cooler than land in summer, and warmer than land in winter. Coastal locations are cooler in summer and warmer in winter than inland locations.

Question 9

What climate does the UK experience?

Answer 9

Mild, temperate climate

Question 10

What does temperate climate mean?

Answer 10

It is mild all year with a chance of rain at any time of the year.

Question 11

What is relief rainfall?

Answer 11

Air is forced to rise over mountains, as it rises it cools and condenses.

Question 12

What is frontal rainfall?

Answer 12

Warm and cold air do not mix, warm air is forced to rise, it cools, condenses then forms clouds and rainfall.

Question 13

How is rainfall represented on a climate graph?

Answer 13

As a bar chart

Question 14

How is temperature represented on a climate graph?

Answer 14

As a line graph

Question 15

Where are tropical rainforests located?

Answer 15

Between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, in countries such as Brazil, Indonesia, Philippines.

Question 16

Name the 4 layers of the tropical rainforest in order from bottom to top

Answer 16

Forest floor, understory, canopy, emergent layer

Question 17

Name one feature of the forest floor

Answer 17

• It is very dark, only 2% of sunlight reaches here.
• There is very little vegetation.

Question 18

Name one feature of the canopy

Answer 18

• It is the densest layer of vegetation.
• Trees are 20 - 40m tall.
• It is home to insects, birds and some mammals.

Question 19

Name one feature of the emergent layer

Answer 19

• In this layer are the tops of the tallest trees in the rainforest.

Question 20

Name 2 types of rainforest vegetation

Answer 20

Buttress roots, Drip tip leaves, Pitcher plants, Lianas, Kapok trees, Bromeliads

Question 21

How is a pitcher plant adapted to survive in the tropical rainforest?

Answer 21

They produce sweet nectar which attracts insects. Insects land on the waxy sides of the plant and fall in the water, where they drown and are digested by the plant.

Question 22

How have drip tip leaves adapted to survive in the tropical rainforest?

Answer 22

These leaves are thick and waxy. The shape of the leaves allows rain drops to run off quickly, to avoid growth of fungus and bacteria.

Question 23

What are the average temperatures in a tropical rainforest?

Answer 23

Average temperatures in the tropical rainforest are 27 degrees Celsius all year round.

Question 24

What is the average rainfall in a tropical rainforest?

Answer 24

Average rainfall in the tropical rainforest is 2000mm per year.

Question 25

Explain why tropical rainforests experience high temperatures all year round

Answer 25

Tropical rainforests experience high temperatures all year round because they are located between the Tropics and near the equator, therefore they receive 12 hours of sunlight every day due to the tilt of the Earth.

Question 26

What is deforestation?

Answer 26

Deforestation is the chopping down and removal of trees to clear an area of forest.

Question 27

Name 3 human uses of the tropical rainforest

Answer 27

Logging, cattle ranching, mineral mining, road building, hydro-electric power, agriculture, tribal home lands

Question 28

What is logging?

Answer 28

Logging is the act of cutting down of trees and transporting the logs to sawmills. 80% of all logging in the Amazon is illegal.

Question 29

What is cattle ranching?

Answer 29

Cattle ranching is when land is cleared to allow cattle to graze for the beef industry. 80% of the land that is cleared in the Amazon is for cattle ranching.