Weather and Climate Overview
36 Questions
1 Views

Choose a study mode

Play Quiz
Study Flashcards
Spaced Repetition
Chat to lesson

Podcast

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson

Questions and Answers

What distinguishes weather from climate?

  • Weather is the day-to-day conditions of Earth’s atmosphere, while climate is the long-term pattern of temperature and precipitation. (correct)
  • Weather refers to long-term patterns, while climate refers to day-to-day conditions.
  • Weather remains constant, while climate changes daily.
  • Weather is determined by greenhouse gases, while climate is determined by the Earth's tilt.

    • What is the primary role of greenhouse gases in the greenhouse effect?

  • They absorb heat and reflect it back to the Earth's surface, warming it. (correct)
  • They eliminate the need for sunlight by providing artificial heating.
  • They reflect all sunlight, preventing any heat from reaching the Earth.
  • They block heat from escaping, leading to a drop in atmospheric temperatures.

    • How does the Earth's tilt affect the distribution of the sun's heat?

  • It leads to uniform heat distribution across the planet.
  • It has no significant effect on heat distribution.
  • It creates zones of variable temperatures due to the angle of sunlight. (correct)
  • It prevents any heat from reaching the equator.

    • What latitude is primarily associated with tropical regions?

    <p>0 degrees</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What causes hot air to rise and create low-pressure areas on Earth’s surface?

    <p>Hot air is less dense, allowing it to rise and decrease surface pressure.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Where on Earth would you typically find high-pressure areas?

    <p>Near the poles</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why do low-pressure areas typically receive more precipitation than high-pressure areas?

    <p>Low-pressure areas are warmer, allowing more evaporation and cloud formation.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How do biomes in low-pressure areas adapt to their environment?

    <p>They thrive on high humidity and abundant precipitation.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary source of energy for chemosynthesis in hydrothermal vents?

    <p>Hydrogen sulfide</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following best describes the relationship between chemosynthetic bacteria and tubeworms?

    <p>Mutualistic relationship where both benefit</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How much energy is transferred from primary consumers to secondary consumers?

    <p>10%</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the largest reservoir of carbon in the carbon cycle?

    <p>Sedimentary rock</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What process is primarily responsible for returning nitrogen gas (N2) to the atmosphere?

    <p>Denitrification</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which process describes the breakdown of rocks by wind and rain, releasing phosphate?

    <p>Weathering and erosion</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main cause of algae blooms in aquatic ecosystems?

    <p>High levels of nitrogen and phosphorus</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which consumer level is described as the top in the food chain?

    <p>Top consumer</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What characterizes a food web as compared to a food chain?

    <p>It connects multiple food chains</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which phrase best describes detritivores?

    <p>Organisms feeding on decomposing matter</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which process allows plants to transport water up through their system?

    <p>Transpiration</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What defines the term 'trophic level'?

    <p>The position of an organism in the food web</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What effect does deforestation have on the carbon cycle?

    <p>Prevents carbon from being sequestered</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is an aquifer?

    <p>Water stored underground</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How do mountains influence precipitation patterns?

    <p>They cause moist air to rise, resulting in rain on the upwind side.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What characterizes the downwind side of a mountain range?

    <p>It has warmer, drier air resulting in less precipitation.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a rain shadow?

    <p>A dry area on the leeward side of a mountain range.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In which direction do surface winds generally move?

    <p>From High to Low-pressure areas.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does the Coriolis Effect influence wind patterns?

    <p>It deflects surface winds to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and left in the Southern Hemisphere.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the role of trade winds in ocean currents?

    <p>They move surface water from east to west towards the equator.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What happens during upwelling?

    <p>Deep, nutrient-rich water rises to the surface.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How do the El Nino and La Nina phenomena differ in their impacts on weather?

    <p>La Nina results in heavier rainfall in Asia, while El Nino causes drought in the Americas.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is photosynthesis?

    <p>A process that uses sunlight to convert water and carbon dioxide into carbohydrates and oxygen.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary difference between photosynthesis and chemosynthesis?

    <p>Photosynthesis uses sunlight, while chemosynthesis uses chemical energy.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are the results of the ocean conveyor belt system?

    <p>Warm water from the equator travels to the poles, cools, and sinks.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What effect does weaker surface winds have on upwelling?

    <p>It prevents upwelling from occurring.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What role does the Earth’s rotation play in ocean currents?

    <p>It helps create global wind patterns that influence currents.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is one effect of higher salinity on ocean water?

    <p>It increases the water's density.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Weather vs. Climate

    • Weather describes the short-term atmospheric conditions.
    • Climate describes long-term patterns of temperature and precipitation.

    The Greenhouse Effect

    • The greenhouse effect is the trapping of heat by gases in the atmosphere.
    • Sunlight passes through the atmosphere, some is reflected, and some is absorbed by the Earth.
    • Greenhouse gases (e.g., carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, water vapor) trap some of the heat, warming the Earth's surface.

    Greenhouse Gases

    • Carbon dioxide
    • Methane
    • Nitrous oxide
    • Water vapor

    Earth's Seasons

    • Earth's tilt and revolution around the sun cause the seasons.
    • Uneven distribution of solar heat due to varied angles of sunlight.

    Latitudinal Regions

    • Tropical: 0 degrees
    • Temperate: 30-60 degrees
    • Polar: 60-90 degrees

    Atmospheric Pressure

    • Hot air rises, creating low pressure.
    • Less dense air exerts less pressure.
    • Cold air sinks, creating high pressure.
    • Dense air exerts more pressure.
    • Low pressure areas are near the equator; high pressure areas are near the poles.
    • Low-pressure areas are associated with more precipitation, affecting climates and biomes, like wetlands and rainforests.

    Mountains and Precipitation

    • Mountains force rising air, leading to cooling and condensation, causing rain on the upwind side.
    • The downwind side (rain shadow) receives much less precipitation.

    Wind Movement

    • Surface winds move from high-pressure to low-pressure areas.
    • The Coriolis Effect deflects winds to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and left in the Southern Hemisphere.

    Ocean Currents

    • Factors impacting ocean currents include solar heating, winds, salinity, density, and Earth's rotation.
    • Upwelling brings nutrients to the surface of the ocean.

    El Niño and La Niña

    • El Niño: High pressure moves to the Americas, low pressure to Asia, slowing trade winds and reducing upwelling, causing precipitation changes in each region. -La Niña: High and low pressure areas are more extreme, causing stronger trade winds, and more upwelling, causing weather changes in both regions.

    Photosynthesis

    • Photosynthesis is the process in which organisms convert sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into energy-rich carbohydrates and oxygen.
    • Producers, like plants, perform photosynthesis.

    Chemosynthesis

    • Chemosynthesis produces carbohydrates using chemical energy, such as hydrogen sulfide, instead of sunlight.
    • Bacteria and archaea perform chemosynthesis in hydrothermal vents and cold seeps, utilizing hydrogen sulfide and dissolved carbon dioxide as sources.

    Mutualistic Relationships

    • Tubeworms and chemosynthetic bacteria have a mutualistic relationship, where the bacteria feed the worms.

    Trophic Levels

    • Trophic levels are positions in a food chain.
    • Producers are at the bottom of the food chain.
    • Consumers (herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, detritivores, decomposers, scavengers) make up the levels above producers.

    Food Webs vs. Food Chains

    • Food webs are networks of interconnected food chains.
    • Food chains show a single path of energy flow.

    Invasive Species

    • Invasive species can disrupt food webs by competing for resources, affecting other organisms within the food web

    Energy Transfer in Trophic Levels

    • Energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next, but only a portion is available to the next level (10% rule:).

    The Water Cycle

    • Evaporation: Liquid to gas
    • Transpiration: Water vapor from plants
    • Condensation: Water vapor forms clouds
    • Precipitation: Water falls to Earth
    • Runoff: Water flows over land
    • Seepage (percolation): Water seeps into the ground
    • Aquifer: Underground water reservoir
    • The largest reservoir: Ocean
    • Abiotic factor: The sun's energy

    The Carbon Cycle

    • Photosynthesis: Producers absorb CO2
    • Cellular respiration: Organisms release CO2
    • Deforestation: Removes carbon sinks
    • Burning fossil fuels: Adds CO2 to the atmosphere
    • Largest reservoir: Sedimentary rock

    The Nitrogen Cycle

    • Nitrogen fixation: Bacteria convert nitrogen gas to ammonia and ammonium.
    • Nitrification: Bacteria convert ammonia to nitrites and nitrates.
    • Assimilation: Producers absorb nitrates; animals obtain nitrogen by consuming organisms.
    • Ammonification: Decomposition of waste and dead organisms releases ammonia.
    • Denitrification: Bacteria convert nitrates back to nitrogen gas.
    • Largest reservoir: Atmosphere

    The Phosphorus Cycle

    • Weathering/erosion: Release of phosphates
    • Assimilation: Producers absorb phosphates; animals obtain phosphorus by consuming organisms.
    • Decomposition: Creates inorganic phosphates
    • Sedimentation: Accumulation of phosphate-containing sediments.
    • Largest reservoir: Sedimentary rock

    Fertilizers and Water Pollution

    • Runoff from fertilizers carries nitrogen and phosphorus into bodies of water.
    • This excess nitrogen and phosphorus cause algal blooms.
    • Algal blooms lead to oxygen depletion and fish kills and also produces toxins.

    Wetlands

    • Wetlands perform water purification, provide habitat, and control flooding.
    • Farmers should consider wetland locations, size, and water depth for certain species.

    Studying That Suits You

    Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.

    Quiz Team

    Description

    Explore the fundamental differences between weather and climate in this quiz. Understand key concepts such as the greenhouse effect, greenhouse gases, Earth's seasons, and the significance of atmospheric pressure. Test your knowledge on how these elements interact and shape our environment.

    More Like This

    Use Quizgecko on...
    Browser
    Open
    Browser
    Browser