Ecology Chapter 2: Climate

Front 1

What factor determines which ecosystems exist where they do on Earth?

Back 1

climate

Front 2

What are Earth's weather patterns mostly influenced by?

Back 2

solar radiation intercepted by Earth's atmosphere

Earth's rotation and movement

Front 3

What is solar radiation?

Back 3

Solar radiation is the electromagnetic energy or stream of photons produced by the sun.

Front 4

Which type of radiation is emitted by a very hot surface (sun = 5800 degrees Celsius)?

Back 4

shortwave radiation

Front 5

Which type of radiation is emitted by a cool surface (average Earth = 15 degrees Celsius)?

Back 5

longwave radiation

Front 6

Which wavelengths make up visible light?

Back 6

400 to 700 nanometers

Front 7

What is responsible for seasonal variation?

Back 7

The amount of solar radiation intercepted at any point on Earth's surface which varies by latitude with a gradient of decreasing temperature from the equator to the poles.

Front 8

What are the causes of Earth's seasons?

Back 8

Earth's tilt of 23.5 degrees
Earth's movement (24 hour rotation, yearly movement around the sun)

Front 9

The __________ of solar radation, temperature, and day length increases with latitude.

Back 9

seasonality

Front 10

In which poles does daylength vary from 0 to 24 hours of the course of one year?

Back 10

Arctic and Antarctic circles (66.5 degrees north and south respectively)

Front 11

In which latitudes is it warmest?

Back 11

Lower latitudes are warmest because they are closer to the equator.

Front 12

In which latitudes is it coldest?

Back 12

Higher latitudes are coldest because they are further from the equator.

Front 13

What effect does altitude have on surface temperature?

Back 13

Temperature decreases with an increase in altitude (elevation).

(The higher up you go, the colder it is.)

Front 14

What drives the atmosphere's constant state of movement?

Back 14

rising and sinking air masses (driven by pressure/temperature changes)

Earth's rotation on its axis

Front 15

How does air circulate globally?

Back 15

Air that reaches the polar areas cools and sinks to the Earth's surface.

The sinking air raises surface air pressure.

The cooled, heavier air then flows toward the low pressure zone at the equator.

Front 16

What is the Coriolis effect?

Back 16

The Coriolis effect creates a series of belts of prevailing winds and breaks up the simple flow of surface air from the equator to the poles.

Front 17

In which direction does the ocean current move in the Northern hemisphere?

Back 17

clockwise

Front 18

In which direction does the ocean current move in the Southern hemisphere?

Back 18

counterclockwise

Front 19

What is current determined by?

Back 19

Current is determined by the global pattern of prevailing winds.

Front 20

Where is precipitation highest?

Back 20

Precipitation is highest in equatorial regions and declines as you move north and south.

Front 21

Name the region that forms where the trade winds meet and is characterized by high amounts of precipitation.

Back 21

ITCZ (intertropical convergence zone)

Front 22

Where does ITCZ migrate?

Back 22

ITCZ migrates toward regions of the globe with the warmest surface temperature.

Front 23

What does the migration of ITCZ cause?

Back 23

The migration of ITCZ is responsible for weather conditions as seasons change in the northern and southern latitudes.

Front 24

What influences regional and local patterns of precipitation?

Back 24

Topography influences regional and local patterns of precipitation.

Front 25

Describe the formation of a rain shadow.

Back 25

A rain shadow forms on the leeward side of a mountain (mountain range) due to the loss of moisture from the air as it travels up and over the mountains from the windward side.

Front 26

What occurs during an El Niño event?

Back 26

The trade winds slacken and reduce the westward flow of currents.

There is a reduced upwelling and warming of surface waters in the eastern Pacific.

This results in flooding of Peru and droughts in Indonesia and Australia.

Front 27

What occurs during a La Niña event?

Back 27

The surface of the eastern Pacific cools more than usual.

This results in droughts in South America and heavy rainfall (flooding) in Australia.

Front 28

What are microclimates?

Back 28

Local conditions occupied by most organisms that do not match the general climate profile of the larger region surrounding them.

Front 29

Name the term that describes urban areas that are generally several degrees hotter than the surrounding countryside.

Back 29

urban heat islands