Unit 1: Climate

Question 1

What is the unit for the individual

Answer 1

survival and reproduction - the unit of natural selection

Question 2

what is the unit for population

Answer 2

population dynamics - the unit of evolution

Question 3

what is community

Answer 3

interactions among species

Question 4

what is an ecosystem

Answer 4

flow of energy and cycling of matter

living things and the abiotic things they depend on

Question 5

what is a landscape

Answer 5

interactions among ecosystems

Question 6

what are the inputs and outputs for the individual?

Answer 6

inputs = food
outputs = energy expended; waste

Question 7

what are the inputs and outputs for the population

Answer 7

inputs = births; immigration
outputs = deaths; emigration

Question 8

what are the inputs and outputs for community

Answer 8

inputs = colonization by new species
outputs = extinction of species

Question 9

what are the inputs and outputs for the ecosystem

Answer 9

inputs = solar energy and matter entering ecosystem
outputs = energy and matter leaving ecosystem

Question 10

what are the inputs and outputs for the landscape

Answer 10

inputs = energy and matter entering from other ecosystems
outputs = energy and matter leaving to other ecosystems

Question 11

what are the inputs and outputs for the biospehere

Answer 11

inputs = solar energy entering system
outputs = energy re-radiated to space

Question 12

what is weather

Answer 12

short-term variation in temperature and precipitation

ex) the rain bomb

Question 13

what is climate

Answer 13

annual patterns

Question 14

what is a “rain bomb”

Answer 14

• wet microburst
• when a column of air hits the ground rapidly during a thunderstorm, larger amounts of rain can fall in a small area

Question 15

what causes the greenhouse effect

Answer 15

clouds and surface structures absorb solar radiation and reflect it back

Question 16

steps of greenhouse effect

Answer 16

1. about 1/3 of incoming solar radiation - composed of visible and ultraviolet light - is reflected back into space by the atmosphere, clouds, and Earth’s surface
2. the remaining solar radiation is absorbed by clouds and Earth’s surface, which becomes wamer and emits infrared radiation
3. much of the emitted infrared radiation from earth if absorbed by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
4. warmed greenhouse gases re-emit infared radiation. some goes out to space but most returns to earth

Question 17

the energy that maintains earth’s climate is primarily [–]

Answer 17

solar

Question 18

the sun strikes the thermal [–] directly at a [–] angle causing warm air to [–]

Answer 18

the sun strikes the thermal equator directly at a 90 degree angle causing warm air to rise

Question 19

What is the firebox?

Answer 19

the fact that the sun strikes the earth’s equator at 90 degrees and that hot air rises

Question 20

What creates currents of air and rain

Answer 20

the firebox

Question 21

what are hadley cells

Answer 21

• circulation cells
• air uprising at equator
• air falling at north or south

Question 22

what does the range of daylength with changing latitudes affect?

Answer 22

growing seasons and plant community structures

Question 23

the farther you get away from the equator, [–] sun time

Answer 23

the farther you get away for the equation, longer sun time

Question 24

the tilt of the earth relative to the sun determines

Answer 24

the intensity of sunlight and the seasons

Question 25

what angle is the earth tilted at?

Answer 25

23.5 degress

Question 26

autumnal equinox

Answer 26

september 22-23

Question 27

winter solstice

Answer 27

december 21-22

Question 28

vernal equinox

Answer 28

march 20-21

Question 29

summer solstice

Answer 29

june 20-22

Question 30

leaning away from the sun = [--]

Answer 30

longer angle of incidence = less intensity of sunlight

Question 31

where are the greatest extremes in daylight found?

Answer 31

at the polar (90 degrees) latitude

Question 32

hadley and ferrell cells create [--] and [--]

Answer 32

hadley and ferrell cells create **predictable precipitation** and **temperature zones**

Question 33

hadley cells rise and fall where?

Answer 33

* rise form the equator (0 degrees) * fall at ~30 degrees latitude

Question 34

# hadley cells as warm air rises = [--]

Answer 34

it cools its dewpoint **lowers** rain falls | rainforests

Question 35

# hadley cells hot air = [--]

Answer 35

moist = holds onto water = rain when cooled

Question 36

# hadley cells cool air = [--]

Answer 36

falls back toward surface absorbs moisture creating dry zones | deserts

Question 38

ferrell cells rise and fall at?

Answer 38

rise at ~60 degrees fall at 30 degrees

Question 39

# ferrell cells humidity and temperature change are [--]

Answer 39

not as well delineated or extreme

Question 40

polar cells circulate at?

Answer 40

60 degrees latitude

Question 41

ITCZ

Answer 41

* inter-tropical convergence zone * location shifts above and below the equaotr depending on the time of year * areas where the winds become inconsistent

Question 42

hot air rises at [--] creating a [--]

Answer 42

hot air rises at **the equator** creating a **circulation cell**

Question 43

sun creates [--] for [--] to move [--]

Answer 43

the sun creates **an engine** for **hot air to move up**

Question 44

as the air condenses = water [--] = [--]

Answer 44

as the air condenses = **water falls** = **rain**

Question 45

where are the major dessert conditions found?

Answer 45

30 degrees north 30 degrees south

Question 46

what is the coriolis effect

Answer 46

* causes a deflection in air movement because of the Earth's rotation * when something rises from the surface of the earth, it does not come back down in the same place * deflection = west

Question 47

Earth rotates to the

Answer 47

east

Question 48

the insulating effect of large bodies of water does what?

Answer 48

mitigates seasonal temperature changes

Question 49

it take [--] energy to move water [--] degree

Answer 49

it take **more** energy to move water **up 1 degree** | water has a high specific heat

Question 50

why don't the oceans freeze?

Answer 50

* they can absorb a lot of heat * the salt provides a protective thermal blanket

Question 51

prevailing winds are the result of

Answer 51

* atmospheric currents from ciruclation cells * coriolis effect

Question 52

what creates ocean currents

Answer 52

* wind patterns * unequal heating * coriolis effects * topography

Question 53

what creates rain shadows

Answer 53

mountain ranges perpendicular to prevailing winds | this determines species distribution within communities

Question 54

# rain shadows as the winds go up and hit the mountain range what happens

Answer 54

the wind cools and drop the water they are carrying, so at the top/far side of the mountain the air is dry

Question 55

maximum humidity and dew point vary with [--]

Answer 55

air temperature