Weather v. Climate
What are some of the different factors that make up weather?
Temperature, Wind, Humidity, Precipitation, Clouds
What does m, c, P, and T stand for in air masses?
m- maritime
c- continental
P- Polar
T- Tropical
What are the 3 climate zones?
Polar, Temperate, and Tropical
What is albedo?
Albedo = ratio of reflected sunlight to the sunlight that strikes a surface
What is Global Warming?
Long-term increase in average surface temperature.
Is this an example of weather or climate?
The forecast over the next week for El Paso, Texas has highs of 110 degrees and lows of 109 degrees.
What will a cold front do to temperatures?
Cool them down significantly
What is the polar zone like?
Cold all year long
What is topography?
The shape of the natural features of the land
What is climate change?
Long-term changes in climate patterns can cause changes in precipitation patterns and frequency in severe weather.
Is this an example of weather or climate?
This summer has been the hottest summer over the last decade.
Climate
What will a stationary front do?
Stationary fronts will stick around for a few days and bring rain or snow.
What is the temperate zone like?
Moderate temperatures all year round and have different seasons.
What kinds of surfaces have a lower albedo and absorb more energy?
Dark surfaces can absorb energy creating more heat to be trapped.
How does deforestation contribute to an increase in carbon dioxide?
Clears out trees which can absorb carbon dioxide (meaning they help decrease the amount in the atmosphere)
What is weather?
Weather is the condition of the atmosphere at the current moment or in the near future. Short-Term
What kind of weather does a low-pressure system bring?
Cloudy or Stormy weather
What is the tropical zone like?
Warm/hot all year round.
How do plants affect the local climate?
Plants help to block sunlight and can cool the surrounding atmosphere.
How is methane added the the atmosphere?
Think of some ways in which we talked about
Cows, natural gases, and garbage decomposing
What is Climate?
Climate looks at long-term weather patterns and takes years to change.
What kind of weather will a high-pressure system bring?
Clear, sunny skies
How does latitude and elevation determine climate?
Latitude- Determines how much of the sun's energy will hit that part of the Earth.
Elevation- Temperature decreases as you go up in elevation.
How do mountains affect the local climate?
They force air to move upwards and can affect which side will get rain.
What is the enhanced greenhouse effect and why do humans need the greenhouse effect?
Enhanced Greenhouse Effect- The enhanced greenhouse effect is the warming of the atmosphere at an increased amount of greenhouse gases from human activity.
Why do humans need the natural greenhouse effect?
-It warms our planet and keeps it habitable for us to live on.