Moon Phases & Tides
The number of high tides that occur in a 24-hour period at any given location.
What is two (2)?
When the Southern Hemisphere is experiencing summer, the Northern Hemisphere is experiencing this season.
What is winter?
This term describes the percentage of sunlight that a surface reflects back into space.
What is albedo?
This orbital cycle refers to the shape of Earth's orbit changing from more circular to more elliptical over time.
What is eccentricity?
A lunar eclipse can ONLY occur during this specific Moon phase.
What is a full moon?
The two main reasons Earth experiences seasons.
What are Earth's tilted axis and its revolution around the Sun?
When glacial ice melts and exposes darker ground beneath, this happens to the surface albedo.
What is decreases? (absorbs more)
This is the term for Earth's axial tilt, which is currently about 23.5°.
What is obliquity?
During a total solar eclipse, the Moon is in this position relative to Earth and the Sun. (You may draw your answer)
What is between Earth and the Sun? (Sun - Moon - Earth)
At 40°N latitude (like NYC), the angle of insolation is greatest during this season.
What is summer?
When melting glaciers add large amounts of fresh water to the ocean, this happens to the ocean water's salinity.
What is decreases (lowers)?
Orbital cycles affect climate by changing the amount and distribution of this that reaches Earth's surface.
What is insolation (solar radiation/energy)?
The number of days it takes for the Moon to complete one full cycle of phases.
What is approximately 29.5 days? (one lunar month)
At the equator, sunlight has a ________ angle of insolation than at the poles.
What is higher?
These large-scale movements of ocean water help transfer heat around the planet (ex: AMOC).
What are ocean currents?
Earth's axial tilt changes over a cycle of approximately this many thousand years.
What is 41,000 years?
The two factors that give tides their cyclical nature.
What are the gravity of the Moon and Earth's rotation?
A higher angle of insolation results in sunlight being this, which is why summer is warmer than winter.
What is more concentrated (less spread out)?
When fresh water enters the ocean and decreases salinity, ocean currents will do this.
What is slow down (or weaken)?
Changes in Earth's tilt have the greatest effect on seasonal temperature variations in these regions.
What are polar (high latitude) regions?