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