Environmental Science Midterm, Lesson 5

Front 1

Climate

Back 1

Long term patterns of temperature and precipitation (NOT THE SAME AS WEATHER!)

Usually based off annual variations

Front 2

What Determines Climate

Back 2

Global: different amounts of sunlight hitting the Earth

Front 3

Rainfall

Back 3

Water condenses as air cools
Air cools as it rises

Front 4

Convection

Back 4

The rising and falling of air

Front 5

Convection Cells

Back 5

Hadley, Ferrell, and Polar
cause winds to move North and South

Front 6

Hadley Cell

Back 6

Equatorial Cells

Front 7

Ferrell Cell

Back 7

Mid-Latitude Cells

Front 8

Polar Cell

Back 8

Upper- Latitude Cells

Front 9

Coriolis Effect

Back 9

Spinning of the Earth causes winds to be deflected East and West (curvature of the winds)

Front 10

Prevailing Winds

Back 10

Convection and the Coriolis Effect cause wind to move all four directions
Doldrums, Trade Winds, and Prevailing Westernlies

Front 11

Doldrums

Back 11

Regions of calm wind found near the equator

Front 12

Trade Winds

Back 12

the winds moving Southwest and Northwest in the Hadley Cells
Northeasternlies and Southeasternlies

Front 13

Prevailing Westernlies

Back 13

the winds the winds moving Southeast and Northeast in the Ferrell Cells

Front 14

Ocean Currents

Back 14

Wind currents push on the surface of the oceans

Create surface ocean currents

As surface water moves, deep water moves up to replace it

Creating deeper ocean currents

Front 15

Seasons

Back 15

are regular, annual fluctuations in temperature, precipitation, or both
Occurs because of Earth is tilted on an axis by 23.5 degrees

Front 16

Weather

Back 16

short-lived and local patterns of temperature and precipitation
precip. is common when two air masses of different temps come into contact (Fronts)

Front 17

Milankovitch Cycles

Back 17

Long-term variations in Earth's climate

Front 18

Anthropogenic

Back 18

a human-caused climate change (global warming and greenhouse gases)

Front 19

Global Warming

Back 19

Rapid Increase of Global temps due to the excess amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere

Front 20

Greenhouse Gases

Back 20

Man-made chemicals that are destroying the atmosphere
ex: Carbon Dioxide, Methane, & Nitrous Oxide

Front 21

Leeward Side

Back 21

side of mountain in which dry air descends

Front 22

Windward Side

Back 22

side of mountain in which water falls as rain or snow

Front 23

Warm Front

Back 23

advancing air mass is warming than surrounding air and leads to light precipitation

Front 24

Cold Front

Back 24

advancing air mass is cooler than surrounding air and leads to heavy rain and thunderstorms

Front 25

Hurricanes

Back 25

the result of vigorously rising air in areas where water is warm and abundant

Front 26

Tornadoes

Back 26

caused by dry-air cold fronts colliding with humid warm fronts

Front 27

Axis of Rotation

Back 27

Earth is at a 23.5 degree angle that "wobbles" over a 26,000 year cycle which causes the changes in distribution and intensity of sunlight reaching the Earth's surface

Front 28

Jet Stream Hypothesis

Back 28

global warming has been more intense in global regions, thus weakening the Northern Hemisphere's jet stream

Front 29

Atmospheric Blocking Pattern

Back 29

Warming of the polar regions causes the jet stream to slow down and as it slows the loops of the stream become longer - creating prolonged bouts of weather

Front 30

Outcomes of Climate Change

Back 30

Rising Sea Levels
Permafrost Melting
Threatened Coral Reefs
Water Sources Disappearing
Phenology Shifts

Front 31

Permafrost

Back 31

a thick subsurface layer of soil that remains frozen throughout the year, occurring chiefly in polar regions - Global warming is causing it to melt and release peat into the atmoshpere

Front 32

Peat

Back 32

dead organic matter covered by permafrost - when it is exposed huge amounts of CO2 and CH4 are released into the atmosphere

Front 33

Phenology Shifts

Back 33

warmer spring temperatures cause insects to mature earlier than usual so now bird migration no longer matches the time of peak abundance of food

Front 34

Kyoto Protocol

Back 34

Drafted in 1997 but took effect in 2005

Required emission reductions of sixgreenhouse gases back to levels in 1990

Somewhat worked

Front 35

Jet Stream

Back 35

high altitude hurricane air force that blows air west to east

Front 36

Rising Sea Levels

Back 36

Glaciers are melting and oceans are getting warmer

Front 37

Threatened Coral Reefs

Back 37

warmer waters cause "bleaching" of coral reefs
increased CO2 concentrations are acidifying the oceans