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24 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Define Weather |
The conditions of temperature, air pressure, cloud cover, precipitation, and humidity that occur at a particular place at a particular time |
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Define Climate |
The average weather conditions that occur in a region over a long of time(minimum of 30 days) |
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What is the biosphere? |
The biosphere is a relatively thin layer of Earth that has conditions suitable for supporting life. The biosphere is composed of all living things on Earth and the physical environment that supports them. |
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What are three components of the biosphere, give a brief description of each? |
-Atmosphere - layer of gases that surround earth -Lithosphere- solid portion of earth, composed of rocks, minerals, and elements -Hydrosphere- all the water on earth |
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Why is water vapour hard to include in a graph or table presents the gases in the atmosphere? |
Because the amount of water vapour in the atmosphere varies, because water vapour is a function of temperature, and the temperature in the layer of the atmosphere differ. |
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What is Atmospheric dust? |
Particle matter less than 0.66mm in diameter, can be living (i.e pollen) or non-living (i.e spot) |
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What is Altitude? |
Is the distance above Earth’s surface, measured from sea level. |
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Explain how the troposphere relates to the survival of humans |
The troposphere is the only layer in the atmosphere with a range in temperature and concentration of oxygen capable of supporting life |
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Where is the ozone layer located? What does it do? |
The ozone layer is located in the stratosphere, it absorbs large amounts of energy from the Sun’s rays. It protects living organisms from damaging high-level radiation. |
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What are the two last layers in the atmosphere? |
The mesosphere and thermosphere |
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What is the lithosphere, how is it heated? |
The lithosphere is the solid portion of earth, it is composed of rocks, minerals and elements. It is heated mainly by incoming energy from the sun and molten material in the mantle. |
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What is the hydrosphere? |
All the water on earth, it is always constant. |
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What is inversion? |
Is a reversal of normal temperature patterns seen in the troposphere. |
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Define adaptation |
Is any change in structure or functioning of an organism that makes it more suited to its environment |
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What is climate change? |
Is the change that occurs in the climate of a region over time, min 30 days |
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What is the difference between anecdotal evidence and scientific evidence? |
Anecdotal evidence is evidence reported from people, not checked for bias and may not apply to all situations. Scientific evidence is evidence collected in such a manner, that ensures it is unbiased and applies to general situations. |
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Why is there a need to investigate climate change? |
Changes in climate conditions can affect the health and function of ecosystems and the survival of an entire species. If we can predict the disruptions to come, then we can find a way to prevent them from happening. |
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What is thermal energy? |
Thermal energy is the energy possessed by a substance by virtue of the kinetic energy of its molecules or atoms. |
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What is solar energy? |
Solar energy is radiant energy, or energy that is transmitted in electromagnetic waves. |
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What is insolation? |
The amount of solar energy received by a region of Earths surface. |
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How does the angle of inclination affect insolation? |
Ex. On the first day of summer in the northern hemisphere, the angle of inclination causes the northern hemisphere to be tilted towards the sun, while the Southern Hemisphere is tilted away from the sun. Therefore the northern hemisphere receives more insolation during summer. |
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How does latitude affect insolation? |
The angle of inclination causes variation in the number of hours of daylight at different latitudes. At more northern latitudes, there more hours of daylight as the North Pole become tilted toe the sun. |
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What is the difference between the solstice and equinox? |
A solstice is when on of the two poles are tilted towards the sun. An equinox is when one of the number of hours of daylight is equal. |
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How does the angle of incidence affect insolation? |
The shape of the earth affects the insolation of regions at different latitudes. As you move from the equator to the poles, the angle of incidence of the Sun’s rays increases. At larger angles of incidence, the same amount of radiation is spread out over a greater surface area. |
