Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is characteristic of Extreme Weather Conditions (EWC)?
What is characteristic of Extreme Weather Conditions (EWC)?
In which direction do tropical cyclones spin in the southern hemisphere?
In which direction do tropical cyclones spin in the southern hemisphere?
What is the term used for cyclones that form in the northwest Pacific Ocean?
What is the term used for cyclones that form in the northwest Pacific Ocean?
What type of weather systems are characterized by low atmospheric pressure at the center?
What type of weather systems are characterized by low atmospheric pressure at the center?
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What causes the deflection of winds in tropical cyclones in the northern hemisphere?
What causes the deflection of winds in tropical cyclones in the northern hemisphere?
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Which region experiences hurricanes according to the text?
Which region experiences hurricanes according to the text?
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What is the primary driving force behind thermohaline circulation?
What is the primary driving force behind thermohaline circulation?
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Which of the following best describes a longshore current?
Which of the following best describes a longshore current?
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What is the primary cause of tides?
What is the primary cause of tides?
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Which of the following best describes upwelling?
Which of the following best describes upwelling?
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What is the primary function of the thermohaline conveyor belt?
What is the primary function of the thermohaline conveyor belt?
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Which of the following best describes a riptide or rip current?
Which of the following best describes a riptide or rip current?
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What is the term for the Earth being farthest from the Sun?
What is the term for the Earth being farthest from the Sun?
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Which event results from both the rotation and revolution of the Earth?
Which event results from both the rotation and revolution of the Earth?
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What does the term 'solstice' signify?
What does the term 'solstice' signify?
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During which solstice is it summer in the Northern Hemisphere and winter in the Southern Hemisphere?
During which solstice is it summer in the Northern Hemisphere and winter in the Southern Hemisphere?
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What is responsible for the change in the amount of sunlight received by the Earth?
What is responsible for the change in the amount of sunlight received by the Earth?
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What is a characteristic feature of an equinox?
What is a characteristic feature of an equinox?
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During which phase of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) do trade winds weaken, leading to a suppression of the thermocline and less upwelling of cold waters?
During which phase of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) do trade winds weaken, leading to a suppression of the thermocline and less upwelling of cold waters?
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What is the primary cause of the heavy rains and flooding in the western Pacific during the La Niña (Cold Phase)?
What is the primary cause of the heavy rains and flooding in the western Pacific during the La Niña (Cold Phase)?
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Which phase of the ENSO is characterized by the upwelling of cold deep waters in the eastern Pacific?
Which phase of the ENSO is characterized by the upwelling of cold deep waters in the eastern Pacific?
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What is the primary factor used to determine the current phase of the ENSO?
What is the primary factor used to determine the current phase of the ENSO?
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During which phase of the ENSO do socio-economic conditions tend to be most stable across the Pacific region?
During which phase of the ENSO do socio-economic conditions tend to be most stable across the Pacific region?
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What is the primary mechanism that drives the upwelling of cold waters in the eastern Pacific during the Neutral or Normal Phase of the ENSO?
What is the primary mechanism that drives the upwelling of cold waters in the eastern Pacific during the Neutral or Normal Phase of the ENSO?
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Which of the following is NOT a component of Milankovitch Cycles?
Which of the following is NOT a component of Milankovitch Cycles?
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What is the approximate duration of one complete precession cycle of the Earth's axis?
What is the approximate duration of one complete precession cycle of the Earth's axis?
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What is the approximate range of variation in the Earth's axial tilt during a cycle of obliquity change?
What is the approximate range of variation in the Earth's axial tilt during a cycle of obliquity change?
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Which of the following statements about the Moon's orbit is NOT true?
Which of the following statements about the Moon's orbit is NOT true?
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What is the approximate mean distance of the Earth from the Sun, expressed in astronomical units (AU)?
What is the approximate mean distance of the Earth from the Sun, expressed in astronomical units (AU)?
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If the distance between the Earth and the Sun is 1 AU, what is the equivalent distance in meters?
If the distance between the Earth and the Sun is 1 AU, what is the equivalent distance in meters?
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Study Notes
Extreme Weather Conditions (EWC)
- Characterized by extreme values (minimum or maximum) of a certain weather variable
- Rarely occurring and associated with disasters
- Examples: cyclones, tropical cyclones, and typhoons, storm surges
Cyclones
- Move westward and curve northward (northern hemisphere) and southward (southern hemisphere)
- Associated with:
- Strong and destructive winds
- Stronger winds towards the eye, but nearly still inside
- Spin counterclockwise (northern hemisphere) and clockwise (southern hemisphere)
- Warm and moist air that tends to rise towards the eye
- Bringing extreme rain
- Different terms used to mean cyclone based on location:
- Cyclones – Indian Ocean and southwest Pacific
- Typhoons – northwest Pacific Ocean
- Hurricanes – northeast Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean
Motions of the Ocean
Surf and Waves
- Waves produced by energy transfer from wind
- Parts of a wave:
- Crest
- Trough
- Wavelength
- Amplitude
- Longshore current: generated by the breaking wave
- Riptides or rip currents: moving water that travels parallel to the shore
Tides
- Caused by the gravitational pull of the moon and sun on the earth
- Upwelling: direct result of the difference in ocean water's temperature and salinity (density)
- Thermohaline circulation: influences the climate
- Vertical movement of colder deeper water to the surface
Earth's Motions
Rotation and Revolution
- Earth's orbit is an ellipse
- One cyclic measurement is a year = 365.25 days
- Aphelion – farthest from the Sun (July 4)
- Perihelion – closest to the Sun (January 3)
- Consequences:
- Seasons
- Changing constellations
- Result of both rotation and revolution
- Changes the amount of sunlight received by the Earth (changing length of day and night)
Solstice and Equinox
- Solstice – "sun stand still" (day or night is longest)
- Equinox – "equal day and night" (equal length of day and night)
- Zero Shadow Day – no shadow is cast over objects during noon time
- Experienced only by regions on Earth between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn
El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO)
- Oscillations or periodic shifts of atmospheric circulations and ocean currents occurring in the Pacific every 3-4 years
- Has 3 phases:
- Neutral or Normal
- Warm or El Niño
- Cold or La Niña
- Sea Surface Temperatures indicate which phase of ENSO is in effect
- Changes in trade winds and thermocline affect precipitation patterns and socio-economic conditions
Milankovitch Cycles
- Proposed by Milutin Milankovitch in the 1920s to explain recurring climatic peaks
- 3 motions:
- Precession
- Change in Obliquity
- Change in Eccentricity
- Precession: wobbling of the Earth on its axis (25,700 years)
- Change in Eccentricity: change in orbital eccentricity (100,000 years)
- Change in Obliquity: variation in axial tilt (41,000 years)
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Description
Prepare for your 3rd quarter Earth Science exam with this reviewer covering topics such as oceans, ENSO, ocean motions, surf waves, tides, thermohaline currents, and more. The content is based on 'Physical Geology 15th Ed.' by Plummer, Carlson, and Hammersley.
