Lesson 110

Question 1

List and describe the 3 scales of climate.
M…climatic processes of…
M… Climatic scale characterized by…
M… Climatic processes which take place…

Answer 1

Macroclimate: climatic processes of a global or continental scale, also called synoptic climate.
Mesoscale: climatic scale characterized by horizontal scale ranging from a few to several hundred kilometres.
Microclimate: climatic processes which take place near the ground along the vertical axis.

Question 2

List the factors influencing climate.
M
W
L

Answer 2

• mountains and plains
• widespread vegetation
• large lakes and enclosed seas

Question 3

List the principle elements of macrogeography.
B
E
C
W
A
L

Answer 3

• boreal forest
• eastern mountains
• central plains
• western highlands
• Arctic Canada
• lakes and oceans

Question 4

Three aspects of North America’s physical geography interact with the atmospheric circulation to produce our weather. They are the ______________, the ___________/__________, and the ______________.
LLL

Answer 4

Location of major mountains and plains
Large lakes / enclosed seas
Large scale distribution of vegetation

Question 5

The water balance is a function of the amount of ________, ________ and _________.PSE

Answer 5

Precipitation
Surface runoff
Evaporation

Question 6

What are the 9 functions of the water balance?

PPEECCSAR

Answer 6

Evaporation, evapo-transpiration, sublimation, advection, convection, condensation, precipitation, run-off, percolation.

Question 7

What are the two classes of atmospheric disturbances?

Q
T

Answer 7

• quasi-stationary or quasi-permanent

- travelling or transient

Question 8

Name the 5 quasi-stationary systems:
A
I
A
P
B

Answer 8

Aleutian low
Icelandic low
Arctic high
Pacific high
Bermuda high

Question 9

Name the travelling disturbances
C (PACAC)
A (TBC)
S
H

Answer 9

Cyclones: pacific, Alberta, central, Atlantic, and cold Arctic lows
Anticyclones: travelling warm highs, blocking highs, cold Arctic highs
Showers and thunderstorms
Hurricanes and tropical storms

Question 10

List the 10 macro climatic zones in North America:

NAB GANG PCP

Answer 10

North Atlantic 
Atlantic Canada 
Boreal
Great Lakes - St. Lawrence northeastern states
Arctic 
North Pacific Coastal
Gulf states
Pacific Coastal
Cordilleran and Plateau Provinces
Prairies and Great Plains

Question 11

List the heat exchange mechanisms:

CCRAP

Answer 11

Convection 
Conduction
Radiation 
Advection
Precipitation

Question 12

List the temperature cycles factors:

RADTAP

Answer 12

Radiation 
Advection 
Distance from coast
Topography 
Altitude 
Proximity to water

Question 13

List the four factors affecting surface humidity.

STDS

Answer 13

Source of moisture
Temperature of the air
Density of the air
Seasonal variation

Question 14

Stationary systems may last for _________ and even ________ while travelling disturbances generally last for ______________.

Answer 14

Weeks, months

A few days