30 Questions
What is characteristic of Extreme Weather Conditions (EWC)?
They are associated with disasters
In which direction do tropical cyclones spin in the southern hemisphere?
Clockwise
What is the term used for cyclones that form in the northwest Pacific Ocean?
Typhoons
What type of weather systems are characterized by low atmospheric pressure at the center?
Cyclones
What causes the deflection of winds in tropical cyclones in the northern hemisphere?
Earth's rotation
Which region experiences hurricanes according to the text?
Northeast Pacific Ocean
What is the primary driving force behind thermohaline circulation?
The differences in ocean water temperature and salinity
Which of the following best describes a longshore current?
A current that moves parallel to the shoreline
What is the primary cause of tides?
The gravitational pull of the moon and sun on the Earth
Which of the following best describes upwelling?
The vertical movement of colder, deeper water to the surface
What is the primary function of the thermohaline conveyor belt?
To influence the Earth's climate
Which of the following best describes a riptide or rip current?
A current that moves towards the ocean after a breaking wave
What is the term for the Earth being farthest from the Sun?
Aphelion
Which event results from both the rotation and revolution of the Earth?
Seasons
What does the term 'solstice' signify?
Longest day or night
During which solstice is it summer in the Northern Hemisphere and winter in the Southern Hemisphere?
June Solstice
What is responsible for the change in the amount of sunlight received by the Earth?
Both rotation and revolution of the Earth
What is a characteristic feature of an equinox?
Equal length of day and night
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?
El Niño (Warm Phase)
What is the primary cause of the heavy rains and flooding in the western Pacific during the La Niña (Cold Phase)?
Intensification of trade winds pushing warmer surface waters westward
Which phase of the ENSO is characterized by the upwelling of cold deep waters in the eastern Pacific?
La Niña (Cold Phase)
What is the primary factor used to determine the current phase of the ENSO?
Sea surface temperatures
During which phase of the ENSO do socio-economic conditions tend to be most stable across the Pacific region?
Neutral or Normal Phase
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?
Trade winds pushing warm surface waters westward
Which of the following is NOT a component of Milankovitch Cycles?
Variations in the Earth's rotational speed
What is the approximate duration of one complete precession cycle of the Earth's axis?
25,700 years
What is the approximate range of variation in the Earth's axial tilt during a cycle of obliquity change?
21.1° to 24.5°
Which of the following statements about the Moon's orbit is NOT true?
The Moon's cycle of phases is approximately 30 days long.
What is the approximate mean distance of the Earth from the Sun, expressed in astronomical units (AU)?
1 AU
If the distance between the Earth and the Sun is 1 AU, what is the equivalent distance in meters?
$1.496 \times 10^{11}$ meters
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)
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.
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