Ecosystems and Communities

Question 1

What is weather?

Answer 1

The day-to-day condition of the Earth’s atmosphere at a particular time and place (real time measurements of atmospheric pressure, humidity, temperature, wind speed, precipitation, cloud cover, etc.)

Question 2

What is climate?

Answer 2

The average year-after-year conditions of temperature in a particular region

Question 3

________ is what you expect, ________ is what you get.

Answer 3

Climate; weather

Question 4

Climate is caused by which factors?

Answer 4

1. The trapping of heat by the atmosphere
2. The latitude
3. The transport of heat by winds and ocean currents
4. The amount of precipitation that results
5. The shape and elevation of land masses

Question 5

The energy of incoming _________ drives the Earth’s weather and helps determine climate

Answer 5

sunlight

Question 6

What is the “Greenhouse Effect”

Answer 6

The natural situation in which heat is retained by this layer of atmospheric gases trap heat energy and maintain Earth’s temperature range