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What does the term ‘feedback’ mean?
The outcome of a response feeds into its own
activity in some way
Provide an example of positive feedback in nature
a flower dropping seeds
leading to more plant growth OR as ice and snow melt due to warming, the
darker land or ocean surface below absorbs more solar radiation, causing further
warming and more ice to melt.
Explain what a delta is and how it forms.
A river carries sediment at a fast speed, at the
mouth of a river the speed decreases so the sediment settles to the bottom (deposition)
and collects at the mouth of the river
Define and give an example of physical weathering
Breaks down rock into
smaller pieces without changing the rocks composition (no new substance) -
chalk in the bottle experiment
Define and give an example of chemical weathering
Breaking down of rock
through a chemical reaction —> altering the composition of the rock (new
substance is formed) - chalk in vinegar
Define deposition
Process where particles like sediment, soil, + rock are added to
landform when wind, water, or ice material drops it in a new location
5. Describe the budget of US energy: what percent “reflects clouds”, “is absorbed by gas
particles”, “is reflected by surface”, and is "absorbed by water
25% reflected by clouds,
20% absorbed by gases and particles, 5% reflected by Earth’s surface, 50% absorbed
by land and water and converted as heat
What are the three types of heat transfer involving a direct surface? How do they differ?
Convection = transfer of heat by the movement of a fluid, conduction = transfer of heat
between 2 substances that are directly touching, radiation = transfer of energy by
electromagnetic waves
Define global winds
caused by the Earth’s rotation and global convection currents in the
atmosphere caused by uneven heating of the surface - over a large area
What is transpiration?
Plants release water vapor through leaves
What is respiration?
Animals and humans breathe and exhale water
In order for a water vapor (gas) molecule to condense into a liquid, what does it need?
A
surface to attach itself to
How are different types of precipitation formed? (for example, what weather conditions
lead to rain falling from clouds versus snow falling from clouds)
rain = above freezing in
clouds and on surface, freezing rain = above freezing in cloud but surface is below
freezing, sleet = above freezing in cloud so it falls as rain but the droplets freeze on the
way down from a layer of very cold air, hail = below freezing in cloud but surface is
above freezing, snow = both in cloud and on the ground is below freezing
6. What two things are air masses categorized?
Humidity and temperature
describe the similarities and differences between the two major wind patterns that move
air masses.
prevailing westerlies + jet stream - both move from W to E and both move
air masses with different temperatures and humidity - jet stream is high speed band of
wind 6-14 km above Earth’s surface