Climate
Define microclimates and what causes them?
A small are with different climate than its surrounding area.
Could be due to landmarks (hills/lakes) affecting weather patterns.
Define weather
Weather is the day-to-day condition of the atmosphere, including temperature, precipitation, and wind.
Short term weather changes
How do human activities contribute to climate change?
Human activities like burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial processes release greenhouse gases.
El Nino, La Nina, and seasons
True or False: The greenhouse effect is completely bad for Earth.
False. The greenhouse effect is natural and necessary, but too much of it causes global warming.
Define Climate
Climate is the average weather conditions in an area over a long period (usually 30 years or more).
Weather is what you get and climate is what you expect.
Climate is long term patterns whereas weather is short term day to day changes in things such as temp/precip/etc.
What is the carbon cycle?
Describe El Nino
Warmer water is pushed back east, toward the west coast of the Americas.
Dryer/warmer weather in N.US and Canada
Wetter/increased floods in US Gulf Coast and Southeast
Name one natural factor that affects Earth’s climate.
Volcanic eruptions, ocean currents, solar cycles, or Earth's orbit changes.
What are Climate zones?
areas with distinct climates -- caused by weather patterns, latitude, plants, animals, etc.
What do you call the average weather conditions in an area over a long period of time?
Climate
Define greenhouse gases
Heat trapping gases in the atmosphere
List the three long term cycles of climate change explained in the Milankovitch Cycles.
Earth's orbit, Earth's tilt, and Earth's wobble (precession)
What are fossil fuels, and why do they contribute to climate change?
Fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas) release carbon dioxide when burned, contributing to the greenhouse effect.
What are the seven factors that affect climate?
Latitude, topography, proximity to water, moisture, wind, ocean currents, air masses
What are the five factors that affect weather?
Sun, wind, latitude/altitude, oceans/bodies of water, vegetation
List the six main greenhouse gases
Water vapor, methane, ozone, CFCs, nitrous oxide, and carbon dioxide
Negative: Dampen changes (warm weather, more evaporation, more clouds, temps cool)
Positive: amplifies changes (albedo - melting sea ice, lower albedo, increased solar radiation absorbed...)
Explain the process of heating through radiation, conduction and convection
The sun heats the ground through radiation
The ground heats the air through conduction
The warm air rises through convectionHow do ocean currents create climates?
What effect do variations in the Sun’s output have on Earth’s climate?
Variations in the Sun’s energy output can cause changes in Earth’s climate, such as warming or cooling over decades.
List two examples of long term storage of carbon and two examples of short term storage of carbon.
Long term: Deep oceans, lithosphere, forests
Short-term: biosphere, atmosphere, ocean/atmosphere exchange.
Describe La Nina
Stronger trade winds, warm water pushed towards Asia
Southern US = drought
Heavy rain/flooding = Northern US and Canada
Explain why planting trees can help fight climate change.
Trees absorb CO2, so planting them helps remove carbon from the atmosphere