Atmosphere
What is the Greenhouse Effect?
Gases in the atmosphere trap heat near the earth's surface
Explain the following method of heat transfer: conduction.
The transfer of heat between two solid substances that are in direct contact.
What is the Coriolis Effect?
As the Earth rotates, winds get deflected, making it seem like the winds curve
How are surface ocean currents created?
By wind
How does altitude affect climate?
The higher the altitude, the colder it gets. The lower the altitude, the more heat is retained
What layer of the stratosphere is responsible for protecting life from ultraviolet radiation?
Ozone Layer
Explain the following method of heat transfer: convection
The transfer of heat by the movement of a fluid
How is wind created?
The movement of air from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
What causes deep ocean currents?
A combination of cold temperatures, the formation of ice, and increase in ocean salinity, making water denser and causing it to sink and displace water below it
How do ocean currents affect climate?
Which two "greenhouse" gases, now growing in abundance, are responsible for trapping heat in the atmosphere?
Explain the following method of heat transfer: radiation
The transfer of heat by electromagnetic waves
What are the three major wind belts?
Trade Winds (Tropical Easterlies), Prevailing Westerlies, Polar Easterlies
What is the Global Ocean Conveyor?
The movement of deep ocean currents and surface currents in a loop around the Earth
How does the distance from a large body of water affect climate?
Water heats up and cools down about five times slower than land which moderates temperature in coastal areas
What are the three main waves that pass through the Earth's atmosphere?
Infrared, Visible Light, Ultraviolet
What is the name for the energy that comes from the sun?
Electromagnetic Waves
What are the names of the two calm area around the globe
Doldrums and Horse Latitudes
Explain how the United Kingdom receives warm rain during the summer? Why doesn't California (generally speaking?)
The UK receives water from the warm North Atlantic Drift, which brings warm moisture to the coast. CA gets water from the cold California Current, which brings cold moisture
What are the three temperature zones?
Tropical, Temperate, Polar
What are the four layers of the Earth's atmosphere (that the book describes) in order from the outermost to the innermost?
Thermosphere, Mesosphere, Stratosphere, Troposphere
How is the Earth's energy budget distributed?
50% absorbed by land and water
25% reflected by clouds
20% absorbed by gases and particles
5% reflected by earth's surface
What is the Jet Stream?
Bands of high speed winds that blow from west to east and carries weather systems
Compare/Contrast El Nino and La Nina
El Nino happens when Trade Winds calm, leaving more heat at the equator, leading to a shift in the winds which brings tropical weather to the eastern Pacific. La Nina happens when Trades Winds strengthen, pushing more warm water westward, bringing more storms to the western Pacific and leaving the eastern Pacific dryer
What are the six major climate regions?
Tropical, Dry, Temperate Marine, Temperate Continental, Polar, Highland