Year 8 Geography Weather

Question 1

What is weather?

Answer 1

Weather is the description of the day to day conditions of the atmosphere.

Question 2

Who studies Weather?

Answer 2

Meteorology is the branch of science concerned about the weater.

Question 3

What does GAC mean?

Answer 3

Global Atmospheric Circulation.

Question 4

How is the GAC driven?

Answer 4

By the equator.

Question 5

Name 3 types of Weather.

Answer 5

Sunny, Snowy, Thunderstorm etc.

Question 6

What affects weather?

Answer 6

Temperature, Precipitation, Humidity, and Atmospheric pressure.

Question 7

What does Temperature, Precipitation, Humidity, and Atmospheric pressure mean?

Answer 7

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.

Question 8

What is climate?

Answer 8

Average weather over a long period of time.

Question 9

What are biomes?

Answer 9

Biomes are a large collection of flora and fauna occupying a major habitat.

Question 10

What is a relief?

Answer 10

The way landscape changes in height.

Question 11

What is landscape?

Answer 11

The visible feature of an area of land.

Question 12

What is a microclimate?

Answer 12

The climate of a very small area that is different from the climate of the surrounding area.

Question 13

Name the factors affecting climate.

Answer 13

Latitude, Albedo effect, and Altitude, relief, and landscape.

Question 14

How does Latitude, Albedo effect, and Altitude effect climate?

Answer 14

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.

Question 15

What is the scientific name for plant?

Answer 15

Flora.

Question 16

What is the scientific name for animals?

Answer 16

Fauna.

Question 17

What does hot air do and what does cold air do?

Answer 17

Hot air rises and cold air sinks.

Question 18

When does low air pressure occur and what does it form?

Answer 18

It occurs when air is warm, less dense, and is rising. This forms clouds.

Question 19

When does high air pressure occur and what effect does it have on the weather?

Answer 19

It occurs when the air is cool, dense, and is sinking. This normally means that it will be sunny.

Question 20

How is wind created?

Answer 20

By the movement of air from high to low pressure.

Question 21

Name the three winds and their latitude.

Answer 21

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.

Question 22

Name the three cells.

Answer 22

Polar cell, Ferrel cell, and Hadley cell.

Question 23

Describe the Hadley cell.

Answer 23

Tropic and Humid. Dry and Hot.

Question 24

What happens at the Hadley cell?

Answer 24

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.

Question 25

What does temperature tell us, what is the measurement given, and what do we measure it by?

Answer 25

It tells us how hot/cold a place is, the measurement give is in degrees Celsius, and we measure using a thermometer.

Question 26

What does precipitation tell us, what is the measurement given, and what do we measure it by?

Answer 26

How much water has fallen from the sky, in mm or cm, and using a rain gauge.

Question 27

What does air pressure tell us, what is the measurement given, and what do we measure it by?

Answer 27

The force pressing down on us, in millibars (mb), a barometer.

Question 28

What does wind direction tell us, what is the measurement given, and what do we measure it by?

Answer 28

The direction the wind is coming from, in compass directions, and using a wind vane.

Question 29

What does wind speed tell us, what is the measurement given, and what do we measure it by?

Answer 29

How fast the wind’s blowing, in mph or kph, and using an anemometer.

Question 30

Describe the Ferrel cell.

Answer 30

WArm surface winds meet cold air from the poles. As the warm air is less dense it rises above the cold air, coold, and form clouds, resulting in high rainfall, creating low pressure belts.

Question 31

Describe the Polar Cell.

Answer 31

Due to high pressure in the cell, cold air sinks towards the earth’s surface and no clouds can form. The Poles are also called a cold desert.

Question 32

What is Altitude?

Answer 32

The height of the land in relation to sea level.

Question 33

What does global mean?

Answer 33

The whole world/worldwide.

Question 34

What is the enhanced greenhouse effect?

Answer 34

When too many greenhouse gases enter the atmosphere, they add a thicker greenhouse gas layer. This means more solar radiation is trapped, and the Earth’s climate becomes warmer.

Question 35

Describe the greenhouse effect.

Answer 35

Solar radiation from the sun passes through the atmosphere, most of the solar radiation is reflected away from the Earth’s surface. Some of the reflected radiation continues out into space. Some is absorbed by greenhouse gases and is trapped in the atmosphere. This warms the atmosphere and Earth.

Question 36

What causes the enhanced greenhouse effect?

Answer 36

Extensive animal farming, industry and fossil fuel.

Question 37

What gas is produced by extensive animal forming.

Answer 37

CH4

Question 38

What gas is produced by industry?

Answer 38

CO2

Question 39

What gas is produced by fossil fuels?

Answer 39

CO2

Question 40

What is the enhanced greenhouse effect caused by?

Answer 40

Humans.