Climate Test (Ch. 17)

deforestation

destroying and cutting down trees; affects the amount of CO2 in the air

Temperature/precipitation/air pressure/ humidity/days of sunshine

elements that are averaged to determine climate

Climate

determines the types of plants or animals that can survive, and influences how people live

Latitude

distance north or south of the equator

normal years

during ______ ____, trade winds blow east to west along the equator push warm surface water toward the western Pacific Ocean

Koppen's System

examines temperature, precipitation and plant types

volcanic eruptions/meteorite impact

examples of catastrophic short term climate change

summer

during ______, in the northern hemisphere, the north pole is tilted toward the sun; the sun doesn't set for nearly 6 months

El Nino years

during these years winds are weaken and sometimes reverse

wobbles

earth's axis ____ in space just like the axis of a top

fur

the _____ of mammals insulates them from cold temperatures

high latitudes

the __________ _______ near the poles have great differences in temperature and number of daylight hours

Warm, tropical

the change in winds from El Nino allow this kind of water in the upper layers of the Pacific to flow back eastward to South America.

Glaciers

the changes in the amount of solar energy receive and the orbit changing could have caused the ___ to grow and shrink over the last few million years.

polar/high elevation

type of climate is associated with year-round ice and/or tundra

latitude

most fundamental factor that affects climate

photosynthesis

natural process accounts for most of the carbon dioxide removal from the atmosphere

Water

needs more heat than land to reach a given temp.

Koppen

observed that the plant types found in a region depended on the climate of the area

1-70

ocean temperatures increase from _ to _ degrees C off the coast of Peru

.6

over 100 years, the averaged global surface temp. has increased by ___ degrees C

climatologists

people who study climate; usually use a system developed in 1918 by Wladimir Koppen to classify climates

5

temps in the city are ______ degrees C higher than in surrounding rural areas

Colder

At the same latitude, the climate on a mountain is ______ than the climate at sea level

Polar Zones

(66 degrees north and 66 degrees south to the poles) sun shines at a low angle, keeping temperatures low

Tropics

(between 23 degrees north and 23 degrees south) sun shines directly overhead, keeping temperatures high

Temperate Zones

(between the tropics and the polar zones) moderate temperatures (Most of the US)

warmer summers/colder winters

An increase in Earth's axis tilt will cause this change in climate

23.5

Earth's axis currently is tilted ______ degrees from perpendicular to the plane of its orbit around the sun

Weather patterns

El Nino affects ________ _____

Position/strength

El Nino can alter the ______ and ______ of one of the jet streams

Fossils

Some warm-weather _____ found in polar regions indicate that at times in Earth's past, worldwide climate was much warmer that present. At other times it has been much colder than present

Koppen's System

System of climate classification

uneven heating due to axis tilt

The cause of latitude-specific climate zones

cooler summers/warmer winters

The climate effect of a decrease in axis tilt

orbital speed due to gravitaty

The fundamental cause for the length of Earth's seasons

24.5/21.5

The highest axis tilt for Earth was ______, and the lowest was ______.

longer springs and summers/shorter fall and winters

The increase in the eccentricity of Earth's orbit will result in this seasonal change

Warm

____ currents begin near the equator and flow toward higher latitude, warming the land

radiation

_______ strikes Earth's surface and causes it to warm; then some of it is radiated back to space

Sediments/glaciers

________ in many parts of the world show that several different times in the past 2 million years, ________ covered large parts of Earth's surface.

cities

___________ are made up of streets, parking lots, and buildings, and in turn heat the air

Mountains

_____________ cause air to rise, cool, and condense, creating a wetter climate on the windward side of the mountain and a much drier climate on the leeward side

stem

a cactus's thick, fleshy ________ helps it hold water

El Nino

a climatic event that involves the tropical pacific ocean and the atmosphere

greenhouse effect

a natural heating process that occurs when certain gases in Earth's atmosphere trap heat

hibernation

a period of greatly reduced activity during cold months

greenhouse gases

absorb a portion of this heat and then radiate heat back toward Earth

Humans

add particles to the atmosphere through automobile exhaust and smoke stack emissions

Large bodies of water

affect climate of coastal areas by absorbing or giving off heat

Leeward side (rain shadow)

air descends, heats up, and dries the land; the side of the mountain with a drier climate

heat-island effect

air pollution and greenhouse gasses trap heat, create this effect

Windward side (rain shadow)

air rises, cools, and drops its moisture; the side of the mountain with a wetter climate

global warming

an increase in the average global surface temp

Solar output

another factor which can alter climate is short/long term changes in this which is the amount of energy given off by the sun

Adaptation

any structure or behavior that helps an organism survive in its enviornment

tilted

because Earth is _____, different areas of Earth receive changing amounts of solar radiation throughout the year.

Tropics

because of fairly constant solar radiation near the equator, this zone doesn't have much seasonal temperature.

structural adaptations

body structures that help organisms survive in certain climates (inherited)

Ocean Currents

can bring cool or warm temperatures and moisture to coastal areas

carbon cycle

carbon, mainly CO2, is constantly recycled in nature among the atmosphere, oceans, and the amount of CO2 that cycles can change

space/crustal plates

changes in the Earth's movements in ____ affect climate over many thousands of years and the movement of Earth's _____ ______ can change climate over millions of years

heat island effect/air pollution

climate factors associated with cities

temperate zone

climate zone that has the greatest variety of climate types

mountain climates

colder than sea level climates

currents

cool off and flow back toward the equator, cooling the air and nearby land

Sunspots

dark spots on the surface of the sun

cities

have higher temperatures than surrounding areas because of the large areas of solar radiation-absorbing pavement

temperate zones (middle latitudes)

have warm summers and cold winters; spring and fall are usually mild

coastal areas

have wetter climates than places further inland because of ocean currents

behavioral adaptations

help organisms survive in a particular climate

behavioral adaptations

hibernation and estivation

radiation

if the output of this varies, Earth's climate could change

south pole

in the summer at this pole, the sun never rises

warmer/cooler

many coastal regions are ______ in winter and ______in the summer

La Nina

may cause droughts in the southern US and excess rain fall in the northwestern US

Tropics

receive the most solar radiation because the sun shines almost directly over these areas.

seasons

short periods of climate change caused by changes in the amount of solar radiation an area receives.

Tropical, mild, dry, continental, polar and high elevation

six types of climate

Atmospheric solids & liquids

small solid and liquid particles always are present in Earth's atmosphere

Particles

spread around the world, blocking some of the Sun's energy from reaching Earth

estivation

state of being inactive, similar to hibernation, that occurs during periods of intense heat.

carbon dioxide

the increase in global temperatures are sometimes said to be related to this...

Water vapor/carbon dioxide/methane

the most important greenhouse gases

La Nina

the opposite of El Nino

Climate

the pattern of weather that occurs in an area over many years

La Nina

the winds blowing across the Pacific are stronger than normal, causing warm water to accumulate in the western Pacific

Meteorite collisions/Volcanic eruptions

these catastrophic events can affect climate over short periods of time such as a year of several years.

ice ages

time periods when glaciers covered large parts of Earth

mountain air

very thin, and has fewer molecules to absorb heat

inter-glacial intervals

warm periods which alternate with ice ages over 2 million years

Volcanic eruptions/soot from fires/wind erosion

ways that particles enter the atmosphere naturally

Solar energy/orbit

when earth's axis wobbles, it can affect the amount of _____ _____ received by different parts of Earth, and earth's _______.

carbon dioxide

when natural gas, oil, and coal are burned for energy, it increases this in the atmosphere.

tilt

when the ___ is at its minimum, the change between winter and summer is greater

CO2

when trees are cut down they an no longer take in this than if they were still living