Climate
What's it called when a mountain gets wind & rain on one side, but not the other?
Rain Shadow Effect
Which biome has the highest biodiversity?
Tropical Rainforest
What is the area where freshwater and saltwater mix?
An estuary
Name 2 of the 4 greenhouse gases
Carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxides, fluorinated gases
What ocean do El Niño and La Niña occur in?
Pacific
What drives thermohaline circulation?
Convection
We are in the temperate deciduous forest biome, what does deciduous mean?
The leaves fall off of the trees
What is the difference between the photic & aphotic zones?
Photic - Light reaches
Aphotic - Light does not reach, dark
How has climate change led to sea level rise?
Melting land ice & thermal expansion
What does thermohaline circulation help regulate?
Temperature
What's the main difference between climate & weather?
Time:
Climate: A long time
Weather: A short time
Which biome has a coniferous forest as its climax community?
Boreal Forest/Taiga
Which zone has the most species?
Neritic Zone
Explain global warming
Greenhouse gases are in the atmosphere, trapping heat from the sun and warming the planet
How do you know which hemisphere is experiencing summer?
The hemisphere is tilted toward the sun
How does the ocean affect temperature?
Close to the ocean - More moderate (doesn't change much)
Far from the ocean - More extreme (hotter & colder)
How are biomes categorized?
Based on climax community
Which zone is the most productive?
Neritic Zone
What do scientists use ice cores & fossilized shells for?
Ice cores: Earth's atmosphere from thousands of years ago
Fossilized shells: Earth's temperature from thousands of years ago
What's the difference between climate change & global warming?
Global warming: temperatures, only a piece of climate change
Climate Change: All resulting effects (storms, sea level rise, etc.)
What are two locations that could have a colder climate?
Compare a temperate grassland & a savanna, what is one main difference?
Savannas have scattered trees, grasslands only have grasses & shrubs
What role do phytoplankton play in the aquatic ecosystem?
Producers
Name 3 effects of climate change
Changes growing seasons for plants, changes precipitation patterns, makes hurricanes stronger, rising sea levels, ocean acidification
Explain the difference between El Niño and La Niña
El Niño: Weaker winds, storms to California, Mexico, & South America
La Niña: Normal winds, storms to Southeast Asia