Climate Review 2024 Answers PDF

Unit 2 Review: Weather and Climate 1. Identify the six factors that affect climate. (EARTH IN SPACE; DIFFERENTIAL HEATING OF LAND AND WATER; OCEAN CURRENTS; AIR MASSES AND RELIEF BARRIERS; GLOBAL PRESSURE BELTS) 2. Draw and label a diagram showing the earth’s orbit around the sun. Make sure you can...

Unit 2 Review: Weather and Climate 1. Identify the six factors that affect climate. (EARTH IN SPACE; DIFFERENTIAL HEATING OF LAND AND WATER; OCEAN CURRENTS; AIR MASSES AND RELIEF BARRIERS; GLOBAL PRESSURE BELTS) 2. Draw and label a diagram showing the earth’s orbit around the sun. Make sure you can a) identify the month and seasonal event (i.e. equinox, solstice) b) explain what this diagram has to do with climate. As the earth tilts away from the sun, the height of the sun in the sky – and the amount of solar radiation that makes it to earth – decreases. 3. Using a diagram, explain “angle of incidence”, and why it affects climate. i) greater angle of incidence = more surface area to cover by the same amount of radiation. This is because of the curvature of the earth. ii) greater angle of incidence = more atmosphere to pass through. This results in more of the sun’s radiation being reflected back into space by dust particles and water molecules. * less solar radiation reaches polar regions 4. The greenhouse effect is a good thing. If it didn’t exist, what would be the average global temperature? - 18 degrees C 5. What is the “solar radiation budget”? Approximately how much of the sun’s energy reaches the earth’s surface? - solar radiation budget demonstrates what happens to solar radiation when it reaches earth. About 50% of solar radiation reaches the earth’s surface. The result is that our atmosphere is, in a sense, heated more from earth than from the sun. 6. Explain what is meant by “differential heating” of land and water bodies. What two general types of climate does this phenomenon create? What would you generally expect a climate graph from both climate types to look like? - land and water bodies store solar energy differently: land absorbs heat more quickly but re-radiates it more quickly, while water bodies slowly store up solar energy at “latent heat” and much more slowly release that heat - this gives us continental and maritime climates - climate graphs would look as follows:  Maritime: lower temperature curve – not too hot, not too cold; lots of precipitation Continental: higher temperature curve – hot avg. temp and less precipitation 7. What do cold and warm ocean currents do to land masses that they pass by? - if it’s a warm current, it imparts humidity and precipitation to the region - if it’s a cold current, it can pull moisture out of coastal regions, making them dry 8. Identify the four ocean currents that influence the climate of North America and identify each as warm (W) or cold (C). West Coast Currents i) Alaska (w) ii) California (c) East Coast Currents i) Gulf Stream (w) ii) Labrador (c) 9. What is an air mass? Why are they critical to climate? - an air mass is a large package of air that shares features such as moisture content, air pressure, and temperature - they can carry these air masses a long way from their source regions, pulling general weather systems with them (i.e. Steinbach gets a flood of warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico…) 10. What is a “front” and what determines the kind of weather produced there? - a boundary zone that develops when two unlike air masses meet - (a) the degree of difference between the “clashing” air masses determines the intensity of the storm (b) the speeds of the air masses determines the length of the storm 11. Draw a diagram and explain what happens when a) a cold front overtakes a warm front; and b) when a warm front overtakes a cold front. - cold front: violent, sudden, short showers; warm front: gentle but longer-lasting showers 12. Explain how altitude affects climate, making sure to use the terms adiabatic cooling, adiabatic warming, and expansion. - When air warms, it pushes upwards (ascends). As this air rises, it expands because there is less air above it. But by expanding, the particles move farther and farther apart, and can't transfer energy (i.e. heat) by colliding with one another. As a result, rising air masses become cooler. This process is known as adiabatic cooling. The air mass will then fall. Particles bump into each other, creating warmth. This is known as adiabatic warming. 13. In what two ways do mountains influence climate? - if relief barriers act to block air mass movement, the result is isolation of climates - if air masses do manage to cross relief barriers, these air masses are usually modified as a result of the journey 14. What is orographic precipitation? - the term used to describe how mountains cause air masses to condense, forming clouds and often precipitation 15. Two types of adiabatic lapse rates figure into orographic precipitation – but these rates are different. Why? - the dry adiabatic lapse rate (DALR) expresses the rate at which an air mass will cool as elevation increases = 1 C / 100 m - the wet adiabatic lapse rate (WALR) expresses the same rate BUT with the added complications that condensation (water changing state from a gas to a liquid) gives off heat; this lowers the adiabatic lapse rate to 0.6 C / 100m 16. What is meant by high pressure, and what kind of weather is it associated with? How about low pressure? - an area of high pressure means that a tall column / mountain of air is pressing down on you from above. High pressure systems are cool, descending, clear air. - an area of low pressure means that a valley or sink hole of air is above you (less air is pressing down on you from above). Low pressure systems are warm, moist and ascending air. 17. What is the link between an isobar and a contour line? What does it mean if these lines are far apart from each other? If they are very close together? - isobars link similar “bands” of weighted air, just like contour lines link points of similar elevation. - if these lines are far apart, it means the “skyscape” of the air mass has a gentle slope. If they are close together, the air mass has a steep elevation. 18. What is a convection current? What are the three “cells” created by convection currents, and what bands of latitude do they correspond with? - a convection current is a loop of air that moves from warm to cold (warm air rises, expands, cools, and then falls. The cool air “rushes in” to take the place of packages of air that have warmed and risen…) - cells: 19. Draw the major global pressure belts on the earth, making sure to include: - the High and Low pressure points; the cells; the direction of the winds * please concentrate on the Northern Hemisphere. 20. Why are many of the world’s deserts found where they are? - they are at a band of latitude ~30 degrees North, where there is a global pressure belt of HIGH pressure (cold, heavy, descending), which sucks up moisture. 21. All winds in the northern hemisphere bend to the RIGHT. This is the result of the CORIOLIS Force which is caused by earth's rotation. 22. What creates a low pressure system? - a concentration of solar energy: this causes warming, evaporation and ascending air. 23. What are the Santa Anas, generally, and what causes them? 24. What is El Nino? - an El Nino occurs when a bulge of warm water from Australia / Indonesia moves across the Pacific Ocean to the coast of South America. This results in a global change in air pressure. The high pressure system over coastal Peru now becomes a low pressure system, and brings rainfall. The low normally over the western Pacific now becomes a high and brings dry conditions to Australia and Indonesia. This happens every 3 to 5 years. Wait i can just do this??? 25. What can be – or have been – the effects of El Nino? - it can cause serious flooding and major droughts. In damp conditions, in tropical areas it can increase the spread of mosquito-borne illnesses like cholera. It has caused the collapse of civilizations in the past, major social disruption and the migrations of people. Poverty caused by drought can cause wars. Even the threat of flooding or drought can cause significant financial challenges as nations are forced to deal with Mother Nature. 26. Familiarize yourself with the handout on An Inconvenient Truth. 27. What are the dangers of “geoengineering” the earth?