Climate Change and El Niño Flashcards
(27 cards)
Whats the definition of climate?
Average weather conditions over a long period of time
Whats the definition of weather
Day to day conditions of the atmosphere
What is a biome
Regional ecosystem, characterized by distinct types of vegetation and animals that have developed under specific conditions
Give an example of a biome
Tundra, desert, tropical rainforest
What are the 3 main climates
Tropical, temperate and polar
What can tropical be subdivided into
Equatorial, savannah, desert
What is the main influence on biome location
Climate
Which two countries experience irregular warming of the sea surface temperatures during El Niño conditions?
Peru and Ecuador
Where are Peru and Ecuador
Equatorial Pacific
How often does El Niño occur
Every 4 years ish
How long does El Niño last?
12-18 months
In normal conditions in the Pacific, which way do the trade winds blow?
East to West
Where is the warm surface sea water during normal conditions?
Australia and Asia, western pacific
Where is the cold water in the normal conditions?
West coast of South America: peru and ecuador
Normal conditions: South America has ______ pressure and what is the weather like?
High, and hot and dry
Normal conditions: Australia and Asia has _____ pressure, and what is the weather like?
Low, hot and humid, rainfall
El Niño conditions: what do trade winds do?
Weaken
E.N conditions: warm air rising in the East Pacific causes what?
Flooding
EN conditions: where does the warm surface water flow back to?
Eastern Pacific (peru and ecuador)
EN: What does the warm water do to the cold water?
Prevents it reaching the surface
En: peru and chile and ecuador have _____ pressure
Low
En: over north australia and indonesia ______ pressure
High
What leads to dry weather
Subsiding air
What causes teleconnections?
Change in jet streams paths, causing disruption to weather systems
