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CM Earth Science 7-1
Unit 6 Mr. Wilbur/Barbis: Chapter 21--RB 9
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Current | In geology, horizontal movement of water in a well-defined pattern, such as a river or stream |
| Surface current | Horizontal movement of ocean water caused by wind; occurs at or near ocean’s surface |
| Surface currents produced by | Air currents; Earth’s rotation; Location of continents |
| Trade winds | Located just north and south of equator |
| Westerlies | Located in middle latitudes |
| Northern Hemisphere wind motion | Westerlies blow from the southwest |
| Southern Hemisphere wind patterns | Blow from northwest |
| Coriolis effect | Apparent curving of the path of a moving object from the otherwise straight path due to Earth’s rotation |
| Gyre | Huge circle of moving ocean water found above and below the equator |
| Gulf Stream | Swift, deep, and warm Atlantic current that flows along the eastern coast of the United States toward |
| Deep current | A stream like movement of ocean water far below the surface; deep currents move much more slowly than surface currents do; cold, dense water of polar regions sink and flows beneath warmer ocean water as result of density |
| Factors affecting density of sea water | Temperature & salinity |
| Climate | Average weather conditions in an area over a long period of time |
| Weather | Condition of atmosphere at a particular time |
| 3 factors affecting temperature & precipitation | Latitude; Heat absorption & release; Topography |
| 3 major types of climate zones | Tropical; Middle latitude; Polar * distinct temperature & characteristics * several types of climates because of precipitation |
| Tropical climate | High temperature, heavy precipitation @ least part year, equatorial region |
| 3 types of tropical climates | Rain forest; Desert; Savanna |
| Relationship between latitude & temperature | Solar energy determines temperature & wind patterns, affecting annual temperature and precipitation |
| Doldrums | Belt of low pressure where air rises and cools, and water vapor condenses; large amounts of precipitation; amount of precipitation decreases as latitude increases |
| Middle Latitudes | Maximum average temperature 8 degrees C. in coldest months; Maximum average temperature 10 degrees C. in warmest months; Moderate sun |
| Specific heat | Quantity of heat required to raise a unit mass of homogeneous material 1 K or 1 degree C in a specified way given constant pressure & volume |
| 5 middle latitude climates | West coast; Steppe; Humid continental; Humid subtropical; Mediterranean |
| Polar | Average temperatures that are near or below freezing; 6 months daylight/6 months night |
| 3 types of polar climates | Subarctic; Tundra; Polar ice caps |
| Microclimate | Climate of small area |
| Microclimates influenced by | Density of vegetation; Elevation; Proximity to large bodies of water; Ex. snow cap mountain peak in South America |
| Climatologist | Scientist who studies/predicts past and future climate changes |
| Modeling climates | Use computers to create models; general circulation models (GCM); simulate temperature, precipitation, wind patterns, sea-level changes |
| Possible causes of climate changes | Tectonic plates; Changes in Earth’s orbit; Human activity; Atmospheric conditions; Volcanic activity |
| Global warming | Gradual increase in average global temperature due to higher concentration of gases such as carbon dioxide in atmosphere |
| 3 reasons why land heats up faster than water | Land surface is solid & unmoving; Texture; Color |
| How ocean currents influence climate of adjacent land | Temperature of ocean currents that come in contact with the air influences the amount of heat absorbed or released by the air |
| El Niño | Warm-water phase of El Niño-South Oscillation (ENSO); periodic occurrence in eastern Pacific Ocean where surface-water temperature becomes unusually warm |
| La Niña | Cool-water phase similar to El Niño |
| El Niño & La Niña affect climate | Every 3-10 years, El Nino causes surface water temperatures to rise on west coast of South America causing typhoons, cyclones, and floods in Pacific Ocean region & southeastern US. Or droughts around world |
| Topography | Surface features of land |
| Elevation affects temperature | Higher the elevation, lower the temperature; every 100m decreases by 0.7 C |
| Elevation affects precipitation | High elevations have snow on mountains |
| 3 major climate zones | Tropical; Middle-latitude; Polar; New York is in Middle-latitude zone; Each zone has specific temperature characteristics, climates, and precipitation due to being at different latitudes |
| A large city has different climate from surrounding area: | In a city, pavement and buildings absorb and reradiate solar energy, raising temperature of air above city creating “heat island” |
| Climatologists study climates to predict future | By studying patterns of climates in the past, they can predict changes in future |
| Methods to study past climates | Fossil records; Concentration of gases in ice cores; Temperature and precipitation changes |
| Possible affects of climate change | Global warming & Sea-level changes |
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vbarbis
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