Climate change (Unit 4)

Question 1

define climate

Answer 1

the usual pattern of weather in a region over time

Question 2

4 ways weather can be determined

Answer 2

weather stations, weather balloons, aircrafts, satellites

Question 3

how is climate determined

Answer 3

average date collected over 30+ years

Question 4

weather job (1)

Answer 4

meteorologist

Question 5

climate job (4)

Answer 5

climatologist, paleo climatologist, atmospheric scientist, climate modeller

Question 6

what climate zone do we live in

Answer 6

continental - cool summer

Question 7

ecoregion definition

Answer 7

climate zone that focuses on the ecology of a region

Question 8

what are ecoregions determined by (6)

Answer 8

landforms, soil, plants, animals, climate, human factors (crops, urban centres)

Question 9

bioclimate profile definition

Answer 9

graphs that show temperature and moisture conditions in a given location which only describe current and projected climate

Question 10

why do more concentrated sun rays = hotter climate

Answer 10

when radiation passes through more atmosphere (less concentrated rays), most of it is absorbed or reflected by the atmosphere and less reaches the ground

Question 11

heat sink def

Answer 11

something that absorbs and stores thermal energy

Question 12

how does a convection current work (7 steps)

Answer 12

1. air at the equator heats up and becomes less dense
2. the colder (denser) air above it is now heavier, so it drops down causing the hot air to rise
3. as the warm air moves up, it creates an area of low pressure below it
4. once the warm air is high in the troposphere (lowest layer of atmosphere) it spreads towards the poles and cools down
5. the cooler air sinks back to the Earths surface resulting in an area of high pressure
6. this pattern (close to the equator) is repeated near the poles)
7. this causes permanent bands of high and low air pressure parallel to the equator

Question 13

prevailing winds definition+how they work (3)

Answer 13

winds that move in the same direction almost all the time and curve around the globe instead of moving directly north or south due to the earths rotation

they move warm air from the equator towards the poles and push warm ocean water towards the north and south poles

as prevailing winds pass over the ocean, they pick up water vapour

Question 14

what is el nino (2)

Answer 14

prevailing winds temporarily switch directions every 3-7 years in the pacific ocean

instead of pushing warm surface water towards the west pacific, they push it east towards south america

Question 15

describe thermohaline circulation and the circumstances under which it occurs

Answer 15

denser, colder water sinks to the ocean floor. this causes the warmer water from around the equator to come and take its place, resulting in a conveyor belt circulating warm and cold water from the equator to the poles

Question 16

feedback loop definition

Answer 16

the cause creates an effect that impacts the original cause

Question 17

positive feedback loop

Answer 17

effect increases the original cause

Question 18

negative feedback loop

Answer 18

effect decreases the orignial cause

Question 19

albedo def. + high or low albedo

Answer 19

a measure of how much of the sun’s radiation is reflected by a surface, higher albedo means more radiation is reflected (like ice and snow)

Question 20

is the albedo affect a positive or negative feedback loop

Answer 20

positive

Question 21

what do wide/narrow tree rings indicate?

Answer 21

wide - wet and warm weather
narrow - dry and cold weather

Question 22

what do dark/light tree rings indicate

Answer 22

dark - grown during late summer
light - growth during spring
light ring+dark ring = 1 year

Question 23

how many years back can inferences about the climate be made from ice cores?

Answer 23

800 000 years

Question 24

what evidence can be obtained from ice cores

Answer 24

Dissolved and particulate matter in the ice.
Physical characteristics of the ice (size/shape of crystals).
The composition of trapped air bubbles.
Composition of the ice itself. (isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen)