Physics 2 Adaptations PDF

# Adaptations - Any characteristic that enables an organism to better survive and reproduce - Physiological - Occurs inside organism (hibernation) - Structural - Physical feature of organism (thick fur) - Behavioral - Something an organism does (birds flying south) # Key terms - **C...

# Adaptations - Any characteristic that enables an organism to better survive and reproduce - Physiological - Occurs inside organism (hibernation) - Structural - Physical feature of organism (thick fur) - Behavioral - Something an organism does (birds flying south) # Key terms - **Coriolis effect** - Causes air masses to deflect to the right/left in the north/south hemisphere. - **El Nino** - Occasional development of warm ocean surface waters along Ecuador, Peru. - **Gulf Stream** - Warm ocean current around the Caribbean and flowing through the Atlantic. - **High pressure** - Warm air rises and becomes less dense. - **Jet stream** - Fast uniform winds found in the upper atmosphere. - **Land breeze** - Breezes occur during the night from cooling between land/water. - **Low pressure** - Cold air contracts and becomes more dense. - **North Atlantic drift** - Warm Atlantic current splits as it reaches British Isles. - **Orographic precipitation** - Air is forced to rise due to mountains. - **Rain shadow** - Little precipitation due to mountains. - **Sea breeze** - Breezes during the day due to different heating between land/water. - **Thermohaline circulation** - Deep water circulation of oceans caused by water density. - **Trade winds** - Surface winds dominate air flow in the tropics. - **Chinook** - Warm, dry air mass due to orogenic projections (mountains). # Heating curve of water # Types of systems - **Open** - Energy and matter cross system boundary (cell). - **Closed** - Only energy, not matter crosses boundary (Earth). - **Isolated** - No energy or matter crosses boundary (universe). # Types of heat transfer - **Conduction** - Heat transfer through direct contact (touching). - **Convection** - Heat transfer in fluid currents (liquid/gas). - **Radiation** - Heat transfer using waves (no contact). # Albedo - Ability of a surface to reflect light. - Light colors = high albedo. - Dark colors = low albedo. # Greenhouse effect/gases - Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that contributes the most. - CO2 is released when fossil fuels are burned, when forests are removed and soil is cultivated. - New technologies like electric/hybrid vehicles reduce emissions. # Climatograms - Average precipitation and temp monthly. - Precipitation as a histogram, temp as the graph. - Growing season -> >5 degrees Celsius in temp. # Natural/human causes to climate change (Paleoclimatology) ## Natural causes - **Earth's Tilt** - Affects the amount of sunlight received (parts of the planet). - **Earth's orbit** - Affects the amount of sunlight received (different seasons). - **Continental drift** - Affects thermal energy on Earth's surface. ## Human causes - **Burning of fossil fuels** - CO2 is the largest contributor. - **Deforestation** - When cut down CO2 is released, decreases biodiversity/photosynthesis. - **Agriculture.** # Biomes - Major terrestrial community in different areas and similar climates. - **Tundra** - Arctic regions (Top mountains), 5-15 degrees Celsius, extreme cold. - **Taiga** - Boreal Forest, south of tundra, 4-14 degrees Celsius, cold winters, short growing season. - **Deciduous Forest** - East Canada/US, 14-28 degrees Celsius, warm summers, cold winters. - **Grassland** - Savanna (between rainforest and desert) 9-18 degrees Celsius, hot and dry summers. - **Rainforest** - Tropics, 0 degrees North - 20 degrees South, 25-30 degrees Celsius, warm all year. - **Desert** - Interior of continents, 11-27 degrees Celsius, hot days, cold nights, greatest daily fluctuation.