Heat & Light
This type of sunlight hits the Equator at a 90° angle, packing the most energy into the smallest space.
What is direct light?
In both air and water, this happens to "hot" molecules because they become less dense and want to float.
Why does hot air/water rise?
Cities located right next to the ocean are said to have this type of climate, where temperatures don't change very much.
What is a mild (or maritime) climate?
Global wind patterns remain consistent because the Sun always heats the Equator more than the Poles, creating a "permanent" cycle of this.
What is convection?
Even though they are both liquid, a warm current and a cold current won’t "instantly mix" because they have different levels of this "thickness" or mass per volume.
What is density?
Because Earth is a sphere, sunlight spreads out over a larger area at the poles, resulting in this "less intense" type of light.
What is indirect light?
Deep ocean water stays at the bottom because it is colder and saltier, giving it a much higher measurement of this.
What is density?
Unlike the coast, areas deep inside a continent (like Kansas) have this type of climate with very hot summers and very cold winters.
What is an extreme (or seasonal/continental) climate?
Circulating spots in the ocean where water spins upon itself; often the nest where a hurricane or trash island forms
What is a gyre?
This 24-hour movement of Earth on its axis is the reason we have day and night, and it helps create the direction of our global wind patterns.
What is rotation?
This is the primary reason why the Equator is consistently hot while the North and South Poles are consistently cold.
What is the angle of the sun (or curvature of the Earth)?
This is the scientific process where atoms naturally move from an area of one concentration to an area of another concentration.
What is High to Low?
If you move 100 miles away from the beach, you can expect the temperature range to do this.
What is increase (or get more extreme)?
Hot air has THIS property, making it move away from the equator
What is less pressure?
It takes 365.25 days for Earth to complete one of these around the Sun.
What is a revolution/orbit?
While some areas have four seasons due to Earth’s tilt, these regions near the Equator usually only have two: "Wet" and "Dry."
What are the Tropics/what is the equator?
Because of different densities and temperatures, these two types of ocean "rivers" will slide past or over each other rather than mixing instantly.
What are warm and cold currents?
This is why a "cold" beach in California can still have a warm breeze; the land heats up the air, but the ocean prevents the air from getting too hot.
What is the moderating effect of the ocean?
If a heat lamp shines on a bowl of sand and a bowl of water, the water takes much longer to get hot. This is because water has a high ability to do this.
What is retain (or hold onto) heat?
Many people think we have summer because we are physically closer to the Sun, but we actually have summer because our hemisphere is doing this.
What is tilting toward the Sun?
California’s beaches stay mild despite cold water because the land absorbs heat quickly while this nearby body of water acts as a giant "temperature stabilizer."
What is the Pacific Ocean?
This specific property allows water to "hold onto" its temperature for a long time, preventing coastal cities from getting too hot or too cold.
What is high heat capacity (or heat retention)?
This substance takes much longer to heat up than soil or rock, which is why the ocean is still chilly in June even if the air is hot.
What is water?
In the "Global Conveyor Belt," surface water in the Arctic becomes so cold and salty that its increased density causes it to do this, starting a journey to the bottom of the ocean.
What is sink?
TRUE/FALSE: We are furthest from the sun in the winter time
FALSE