Year 8 Geography Weather Flashcards
To be able to describe the weather easily and with proficiency.
What is weather?
Weather is the description of the day to day conditions of the atmosphere.
Who studies Weather?
Meteorology is the branch of science concerned about the weater.
What does GAC mean?
Global Atmospheric Circulation.
How is the GAC driven?
By the equator.
Name 3 types of Weather.
Sunny, Snowy, Thunderstorm etc.
What affects weather?
Temperature, Precipitation, Humidity, and Atmospheric pressure.
What does Temperature, Precipitation, Humidity, and Atmospheric pressure mean?
Temperature- The degree of hotness/coldness of the atmosphere.
Precipitation- The moisture that falls from the air to the ground.
Humidity- The concentration of water vapour present in the air.
Atmospheric pressure- The force applied by the weight of the air.
What is climate?
Average weather over a long period of time.
What are biomes?
Biomes are a large collection of flora and fauna occupying a major habitat.
What is a relief?
The way landscape changes in height.
What is landscape?
The visible feature of an area of land.
What is a microclimate?
The climate of a very small area that is different from the climate of the surrounding area.
Name the factors affecting climate.
Latitude, Albedo effect, and Altitude, relief, and landscape.
How does Latitude, Albedo effect, and Altitude effect climate?
Latitude- Sun’s rays are more concentrated at the Equator so the sun shines directly at the small area, making it hot. The opposite happens at the poles.
Albedo effect- When solar energy is reflected from light surfaces (e.g. white) which makes the area colder. A higher albedo causes snow and ice to melt faster.
Altitude- Temperature drops by around 6 degrees Celsius ever 1000m increase in height.
What is the scientific name for plant?
Flora.
What is the scientific name for animals?
Fauna.
What does hot air do and what does cold air do?
Hot air rises and cold air sinks.
When does low air pressure occur and what does it form?
It occurs when air is warm, less dense, and is rising. This forms clouds.
When does high air pressure occur and what effect does it have on the weather?
It occurs when the air is cool, dense, and is sinking. This normally means that it will be sunny.
How is wind created?
By the movement of air from high to low pressure.
Name the three winds and their latitude.
Eastliers are from 60-90 N and S. Westliers are from 30-60 N and S. Trade winds are from 30-30 N and S.
Name the three cells.
Polar cell, Ferrel cell, and Hadley cell.
Describe the Hadley cell.
Tropic and Humid. Dry and Hot.
What happens at the Hadley cell?
At the equator. air warms, and rises into the atmosphere. It cools and condenses to form clouds. This forms a low pressure belt and an area of high rainfall. As the air reaches the top of the atmosphere, it moves out. Here, the air cold, so clouds don’t form, resulting in low rainfall. This creates a high pressure belt.
