WC Ch 7
what are the two primary subtypes of Group B climates?
Desert AND Steppe
What groups in the Koppen climate classification system are mid-latitude climates with moderate temperature swings dominated by oceanic air masses? Most have mild winters and summers, whereas a few have more severe winters. (Select all that apply)
Group D. Group C
match climate to country/area
Indonesia - A-Tropical Sahara - B-Arid Mediterranean - C-Temperate mid-latitude Southern Canada - D-Harsh mid -latitude Antarctica - E-Polar
What three factors are the primary influences on the temperate Mediterranean climates?
Ocean currents, subtropical highs and subtropical latitude
Mediterranean Csa and Csb climates owe their pleasant temperatures to _____
Receiving abundant insolation in the subtropics
Under the Koppen classification system, Group B climates differ with regard to the amount of precipitation they receive; ____ climates receive more than ____ climates.
steppe; desert
Match each of the 5 categories of climate to its classification in the Koppen climate classification system.
A: Tropical climates B: Arid climates C: Temperate Mid-Latitude D: Harsh Mid-Latitude E: Polar
Which mid-latitude climates experience warm to cool summers with cold but not severe winters, abundant moisture all year, and are located on the western coasts of continents?
Cfb and Cfc
What surfaces are efficient reflectors of insolation, causing an decrease in temperature on Earth or in the atmosphere?
Clouds, ice, aerosols
The area near the equator where trade winds converge to create tropical climates is called the
Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)
In 1884, Vladmir ____ first published his climate classification system. A version of this same system is the most widely used system in the world today.
Koopen
most widely used climate classification system is called the
Koppen
how do oceans help the planet stay cool and reduce global waming efffects?
Oceans absorb CO2
the influence of the sun and the moon pulls Earth's orbit from ____ orbit to a more elliptical orbit, which also influences Earth's climate through cycles lasting about 100,000 years
a circular
What is the name for the processes involved in global climate changes of temperature, precipitation quantities and patterns, wind directions, or other climate indicators?
climate change
Between the B-type climates, Deserts and Steppes, which is more arid?
deserts
Polar climates have limited precipitation because they are located ____ precipitation sources
far from
Higher global temperatures due to global warming would likely cause an increase in the melting of ____.
glaciers
mid-latitude climates are dominated by maritime air masses and experience moderate temperature swings. The climates are classified into either Group C climates with mild winters and summers or Group D climates with ____ winters and mild summers.
harsh, severe, or cold
Individual storms, such as hurricanes, may last longer and be more intense due to global warming as ___ will provide more moisture and energy for the storms
higher SST (sea-surface temperatures)
graph about Hawaii
increased even with annual cycles
what atmospheric process is responsible for the precipitation that the mid-latitudes Marine West Coast and Humid Contenental climates experience?
mid-latitude westerlies
Secondary pollutants form when ____. These compounds can be more harmful than the original compounds.
original pollutants react with sunlight, water, or other contaminants.
the methodology of classifying climates determines where they are located, as in E-type polar climates being restricted to the Arctic and Antarctica. Where are most A-type tropical climates located?
over oceans
Air ____ is an assortment of gases, liquids, and solids introduced to the atmosphere by human activities and is considered harmful to living creatures and other aspects of ecosystems
pollution
What factor affects arid regions downwind of nonarid mountain ranges?
rain shadows
Arid areas may not receive precipitation because they are downwind or in the rain ____ of a mountain range
shadow
Humid ____ climates are classified in Group C of the Kopen climate system and are characterized as being hot and wet all year with short or intermittent cold seasons
subtropical
A-type tropical climates have warm and consistent temperatures all year because the ____ remains high in the sky throughout the year, resulting in consistent day lengths and light intensity.
sun
What kind of climates are designated as Group C climates using the Koppen climate classification system?
temperate mid-latitude climates
Climate is ___ in a location or area
the long-term weather patterns
The subtropical location of desert climates means that ____, and insolation will dramatically heat the surface and create hot temperatures
the noon sun is high
True or false: temperate mediterranean climates are a product of many complex systems merging together to create a pleasant climate.
true
Warmer sea and land temperatures with increased evaporation and release of latent heat due to a global warming period may affect atmospheric stability
true
true or false: Earth has been much warmer and much colder than it is today
true
When land is developed with concrete, glass, and other building materials, it becomes warmer than surrounding rural or undeveloped areas. This warming phenomenon is called a(n)____ heat island
urban
In the U.S., what is the primary source of air polluting nitrogen oxides?
vehicle emmisions
We currently refer to the measured 40-year trend of increasing temperatures in the atmosphere and oceans as global ________
warming
How are climate types distributed with increasing latitude? Imagine the Northern Hemisphere, and order the climate types with those closet to the equator at the bottom and those closet to the North Pole at the top
1. E-types 2. D-types 3. C-types 4. B-types 5. A-types
A climate located near the equator with hot temperatures and abundant precipitation year-round is a(n) ____ climate.
Af - tropical rainforest
Match the climate group to where it is common on Earth's surface.
Arid (B): Along 30 N and 30 S latitudes Temperate (C): Between 30 and 60 N and 30 and 60 S Tropical (A): Along and near the equator Harsh mid-latitude (D): Along 60 N and 60 S latitudes Polar (E): Highest latitudes in both hemispheres
Which climate is characterized as being the hottest and most arid, and covers large areas of Africa, Australia, and the American Southwest?
BWh - Hot desert
Temperate, mid latitude climates that experience moderate temperatures and precipitation and support large amounts of human activity are designated as Group ____ in the Koppen climate classification system
C
What climate experiences hot temperatures and precipitation all year with short cold seasons and is located on the eastern coasts of continents?
Cfa
Polar climates have little precipitation because they are so cold. Which type of air masses limit precipitation in Polar climates?
Cold air masses with low water-vapor capacity
what are some of the reasons to classify climates using a globally uniform scale?
Creating useful generalizations AND Communicating regional characteristics AND Observing broad patterns
What two processes lead to peak precipitation in mid-latitude marine climates in October and December?
Distant subtropical highs and warm oceans
How will an increase in sea-surface temperature (SST) due to global warming change storm intensity and duration?
Evaporated water and latent heat in the atmosphere will increase
Climates classified in Group B of the Koppen classification system are arid and must have the ability to lose more moisture through potential ____ than they receive in precipitation
Evapotranspiration
How does high albedo affect Polar climate temperatures
High albedo reflects the majority of insolation, sending it back to space without raising the temperature
How do Group E Ice Cap and Tundra and Group D Subarctic climates differ? Compare the climates by match them to their characteristics
Ice cap: Cold temperatures, with averages each month below freezing; not capable of supporting trees. Tundra: Cold temperatures, with averages ech month being below 50 degrees F; not capable of supporting trees. Subarctic: Cold temperatures over the year, with very short summers and very long winters; capable of supporting trees
A-type tropical climates receive varying amounts of precipitation to support their vegetation types. AF-tropical train forest climates receive rainfall all year; AM - Tropical ____ rain seasonally; and AW - Tropical _____ receive rain half of the year
Monsoon and Savanna
What four elements make up the majority of air pollution gases (in compounds)?
Nitrogen, carbon, oxygen and hydrogen
Compare point and non-point of pollution by matching them to their descriptions
Point source: A localized source of pollution. Non-point source: Multiple sources of pollution
What happens to the shortwave portion of insolation when it interacts with air pollution by reflecting, scattering, or being absorbed?
Reflected insolation: shortwave energy is sent back to space, cooling the atmosphere Scattered insolation: shortwave energy is sent in many directions, heating the atmosphere and ground. Absorbed insolation: shortwave energy is contained, heating the atmosphere but not the ground and reducing chances of precipitation.
What happens to the shortwave portion of insolation when it interacts with air pollution by reflecting, scattering, or being absorbed?
Reflected insolation: shortwave energy is sent back to space, cooling the atmosphereScattered insolation: shortwave energy is sent in many directions, heating the atmosphere and ground.Absorbed insolation: shortwave energy is contained, heating the atmosphere but not the ground and reducing chances of precipitation.
What additional factors, beyond those characterized in the Koppen classification system, determine the climate of a region? Select all that apply
Topography AND wind directions AND pollution
When large amounts of concrete and glass replace open space vegetation, what is the resulting effect called
Urban heat island effect
climate
____ is defined as the long-term weather pattern of a place including the variability and extremes of weather.
When oceans absorb an abundant amount of CO2, the gas begins to change the ocean's chemistry and lowers the pH. This is called ocean ____.
acidification
Snow and ice have high ____, or ability to reflect solar energy, which prevents insolation from warming polar and subpolar regions
albedo
match the type of proxy data used to study past climate change with its description
fossil - compare these to the modern examples to understand the climate in which they lived tree rings - measure the width of the seasonal layers, as well as density and carbon isotopes from these stalactites - found in caves we can measure isotopes and other chemicals in the distinct layers of these features marine organisms - gather these in drill cores, and they provide us information of ocean's conditions when they lived ice cores - these not only contain seasonal layers, but also bubbles preserving past atmospheric gases that we sample
The ____ effect occurs when longwave radiation between Earth's surface and the atmosphere and keeps the planet warm.
greenhouse
a climate will be classified as an arid Group B climate in the Koppen classification system if it has the potential to ____ more moisture through evapotranspiration than it ___ from precipitation
lose; gains
Cold air, such as polar air masses, has a ____ water-vapor capacity, limiting the amount of precipitation in Polar Group E climates
low
mid-latitude climates in group C that have an abundant supply of moisture and cool to warm summers with cold but not severe winters are Cfb and Cfc ____ West Coast climates
marine
Earth's orbital variations and the associated climates are affected almost exclusively by the Sun and the ___, with one cycle completed over approximately 10,000 years.
moon
what surfaces absorb enough insolation to cause and increase in temperature on Earth or in the atmosphere
oceans, clouds, aerosols, land
The process of desertification caused by climate change would mean less ____ and possibly warmer temperatures in an affected region.
precipitation
Warm ocean temperatures in October and distant subtropical highs in December cause a peak in what characteristic of mid-latitude marine climates (Cfb and Cfc)?
precipitation
Tree rings, fossils, stalactites, ice cores, and tiny marine organisms are all types of __________ evidence we use to study past climate change proxy Alaska Current
proxy
increases in land and sea _____ due to global warming may affect atmosphere's stability.
temperature
Mediterranean climates are located in the subtropics and receive abundant insolation that results in what kind of general temperatures?
warm temperatures
Global warming predicts that most areas on the planet will get ____. whereas some other regions might get ____
warmer; cooler
Which four of the gases below are known to significantly contribute to insolation absorbed in the atmosphere or are recognized as greenhouse gases?
water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide
Mid-latitude Marine West Coast (Cfb and Cfc) and Humid Continental (Dfa and Dfb) climates receive their precipitation from the mid-latitude ____ (winds)
westerlies
