Water Cycle
What are the four forms of precipitation?
Rain, hail, sleet & snow
What two sets of data does a climate graph show?
Average monthly precipitation and average monthly temperature.
Does the statement "It is currently raining and 18°C outside today" describe weather or climate?
Weather.
What is the smallest ocean in the world, located around the North Pole?
Arctic Ocean.
When is Mrs Drysdale's birthday?
Tomorrow (3rd September)
What is the process where liquid water turns into water vapor due to heat from the sun?
Evaporation
On a standard climate graph, what type of chart (bars or a line) is used to display monthly precipitation?
Bar graph/Column graph
What effect occurs when warm, moist air is forced to rise over a mountain range, cooling as it ascends?
Rain shadow effect.
Located between Europe and Africa, what famous sea takes its name from the Latin words meaning "in the middle of the land"?
Mediterranean Sea.
Where is most of Earth's fresh water stored?
Ice caps & glaciers.
What is the process where water vapor cools down in the atmosphere and turns back into liquid water drops, forming clouds?
Condensation
In the northern hemisphere, what months are the summer months?
June, July & August
How do you find the total annual rainfall for a location using a climate graph?
Add together the precipitation values of all 12 monthly bars.
What is the largest ocean on Earth, covering more than 30% of the planet's surface?
Pacific Ocean.
What is the difference between a renewable and non-renewable resource? Give examples for each.
Renewable resources are natural resources that replenish themselves naturally in a short timeframe (within a human lifespan) e.g., wind power, timber/trees.
In contrast, non-renewable resources are natural resources that exist in finite quantities. They form over millions of years through geological processes and cannot be replaced once depleted e.g., Fossil fuels like oil, natural gas & coal.
Explain the process of transpiration.
The release of water vapor into the atmosphere through the leaves of plants and trees.
In the Southern Hemisphere, which months on a climate graph typically show the highest temperature line?
December, January, and February.
Define climate.
The average atmospheric conditions measured over a long period, typically 30 years or more.
What is the main difference between an ocean and a sea?
Seas are smaller than oceans and are usually partially enclosed by land.
What do we call an underground layer of rock or sediment that holds groundwater?
An aquifer.
Explain the process of infiltration.
When water falls back to the earth as precipitation, it may fall back in the oceans, lakes, rivers or it may end up on land. When it ends up on land, it soaks into the earth and is stored as ground water. This process is called infiltration.
If a climate graph shows high precipitation all year and consistently warm temperatures around 27°C, which main climate zone is it depicting?
Tropical climate zone (will also accept close to the equator)
Define weather.
Short term conditions of the atmosphere in relation to air pressure, temperature, wind and precipitation, day to day changes.
What narrow sea separates the African continent from the Arabian Peninsula?
Red Sea.
Describe the rain shadow effect.
Winds flow towards a mountain range (the windward side) and then the winds are forced up the mountain. As the air is forced up the windward side of the mountain it cools and this helps the moisture in the air condense into rain or snow (precipitation). When the air reaches the top of the mountain range it has lost most of its moisture. So when the air slides down the other side of the mountain, it has become very dry air. Also, when the air slides down the mountain slope (the leeward side), it warms as it sinks back down. This warming causes more evaporation, removing moisture from the soil.