Weather vs Climate
What is a 10 day forecast an example of?
Weather
Which factor explains that regions at the equator will be warmer?
Latitude
In what ocean do El Niño and La Niña occur?
Pacific
Name 2 of the 4 greenhouse gases
Carbon Dioxide, Methane, Nitrous Oxides, Fluorinated Gases
What does more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere cause?
Higher temperatures
What is the difference in how quickly weather and climate change?
Weather changes quickly, climate takes much longer
How does elevation affect climate?
Higher elevation = colder climate
During El Niño, storms hit which region of the world?
California, Mexico, Central America, South America (Eastern Pacific)
What is our proxy indicator for Earth's past temperatures?
Fossilized Shells
It changes their growing seasons (lengthening it)
What type of climate does Virginia have?
Temperate & humid
How do oceans regulate Earth's temperature?
Water is a thermal buffer, closer to the ocean has moderate temperatures, farther away has more extreme temperatures
During La Niña, storms hit which region of the world?
Southeast Asia (Western Pacific)
What is our proxy indicator for Earth's past atmospheric conditions?
Ice cores
How does the ocean warming impact hurricane intensity?
Hurricanes feed on warm water, so as the ocean warms the storms get stronger
What atmospheric conditions do weather and climate describe?
Weather: Short-term
Climate: Long-term, averages
What's the difference between the windward side & leeward side of a mountain?
Windward: Precipitation falls, wind hits this side
Leeward: Less precipitation, sheltered from the wind
If the US is having a drier winter, which weather pattern is likely occuring?
La Niña
Explain the greenhouse effect
The sunlight & heat come into Earth's atmosphere but can't leave because of greenhouse gases, trapping heat in the atmosphere and warming the planet
Name 2 ways seas levels rise because of climate change
Melting land ice, thermal expansion of warming sea water
Give an example of how the same location can have different weather but the same climate
Example: A sunny day followed by a rainy day in Virginia (different weather - sunny & rainy - but the same temperate climate)
What is thermohaline circulation & what drives it?
Circulation of heat & salt in the ocean (Cold & salty sinks, hot & less salty rises), driven by convection
What's the difference between El Niño and La Niña?
El Niño has weaker trade winds, and brings storms to the east
La Niña has stronger/normal trade winds and brings storms to southeast Asia
Climate change is a shift in all climate patterns, global warming (the increase in Earth's surface temperature) is one part of that
What is ocean acidification, and why is it bad for sea life?
The ocean absorbs carbon dioxide (ocean uptake) and forms carbonic acid. This lowers the pH of the ocean and weakens shells/corals