The Sun & Latitude
This is the primary energy source that drives Earth’s weather and climate.
What is the Sun?
Air moves from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure, creating this phenomenon.
What is wind?
These "rivers" of water move heat from the equator toward the poles.
What are ocean currents?
Because water takes longer to heat up and cool down than land, coastal areas usually have this type of climate.
What is mild or moderate?
This is the collective name for gases like $CO_2$ and methane that trap heat in the atmosphere.
What are greenhouse gases?
Because Earth is a sphere, this imaginary line receives the most direct, intense sunlight year-round.
What is the Equator?
This effect, caused by Earth’s rotation, curves the path of winds to the right in the Northern Hemisphere.
What is the Coriolis Effect?
Surface currents are primarily driven by this force.
What is global wind?
This effect occurs when a mountain range forces air upward, causing rain on one side and a desert on the other.
What is the rain shadow effect?
When sunlight hits the Earth's surface, it is absorbed and re-radiated as this type of energy.
What is infrared radiation or heat?
This term describes how the Earth's tilt causes different parts of the planet to receive varying amounts of solar energy throughout the year.
What are the seasons?
These steady winds blow from east to west near the equator and were used by early sailors.
What are the Trade Winds?
Deep ocean currents are driven by differences in these two factors, which affect water density.
What are temperature and salinity/saltiness?
This is the term for the height above sea level; as it increases, the temperature decreases.
What is elevation/altitude?
This is the most abundant gas in Earth's atmosphere.
What is Nitrogen?
This is the measure of how much light a surface reflects; ice has a high value, while the ocean has a low one.
What is albedo?
These narrow bands of fast-moving air high in the atmosphere help move weather systems across the globe.
What are Jet Streams?
This specific warm-water current keeps northwestern Europe much warmer than it should be given its latitude.
What is the Gulf Stream?
Large bodies of water can hold onto heat better than land because water has a high "specific" this.
What is heat capacity?
Coastal winds that blow from the ocean toward the land during the day are called this.
What are sea breezes?
At higher latitudes (the poles), sunlight hits at this type of angle, spreading energy over a larger area and making it colder.
What is a low/slanting angle?
This is the process where warm air rises and cool air sinks, creating a circular movement of energy.
What is convection?
This "Global Conveyor Belt" describes the constant motion of water through the deep and shallow parts of the ocean.
What is thermohaline circulation?
This climate phenomenon involves the warming of the Pacific Ocean, which disrupts global weather patterns.
What is El Niño?
The transfer of heat through direct contact between the warm ground and the air touching it is called this.
What is conduction?