Micro Climates Flashcards Preview

Human Geography - CUE > Micro Climates > Flashcards

Flashcards in Micro Climates Deck (18)
Loading flashcards...
1
Q

What is albedo

A

The relectivity of a surface. The ratio between the amount of incoming insolation and the amount of energy reflected back to the atmosphere

2
Q

What is a microclimate?

A

The small scale variations in temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind speed and evaporation that occurs in particular environment such as an urban area

3
Q

What is a urban dome?

A

The urban micro climate is sometimes called this

The area where the weather is different from that of surrounding rural areas

4
Q

What are the two levels in the Urban dome?

A

Urban canopy

Urbn boundary

5
Q

What is photochemical pollution?

A

A form of air pollution that mainly occurs in cities. It can be dangerous to health.

6
Q

What causes photochemical pollution

A

Exhaust fumes are trapped by temperature inversion and in the presence of sunlight, low level ozone forms.

7
Q

What is photochemical pollution associated with?

A

High pressure weather systems

Anti cyclonic conditions

8
Q

What is a temperature inversion?

A

An atmospherice condition which temperature unusually increases with height. Inversions are really stable and do not allow convection, they trap pollution in the lower part of the atmosphere

9
Q

What is the urban heat island?

A

The zone around and above an urban area which has higher temperatures than the surrounding areas

10
Q

What is isotherm?

A

A line joining places with equal temperatures

11
Q

What is channelling (weather) or urban canyons

A

Wind redirected down long, staright canyon like streetswhere there is less friction.

12
Q

An example of urban canyon

A

New York, straight streets and located next to open water where there is strong winds

13
Q

What is the venturi effect?

A

The squeezing of wind into an increasingly narrow gap, resulting in pressure decrease amd velocity increas of winds

14
Q

What happens to the amount of sunshine hours in urban micro climates?

A

Lower

15
Q

What happens to the average mean temperature of an urban microclimate?

A

Its higher than its surroundings

16
Q

What does annuL mean temperature increase in an urban microclimate?

A

Because urban surfaces have a lower albedo, reduced evapotranspiration, air pollutions, windows have high albedo

17
Q

Why is the winter maximum temperature higher than its surrounding areas?

A

Because air pollution means higher temperatures, exhaust fumes and dark surfaces - low albedo

18
Q

Why is there less frost in a urban heat island?

A

Due to higher temperatures in the micro climate