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Gr 8 Science Ch 15-1
Climate & Climate Change
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What are the main factors that affect how much precipitation an area receives? | Prevailing winds and the presence of mountains |
| climate | refers to the average, year-after-year conditions of temperature, precipitation, winds & clouds in an area |
| weather | refers to the condition of the atmosphere refers to day-to-day events; might be cloudy & rainy one day and clear & sunny the next |
| What two main factors determine the climate of a region? | precipitation & temperature |
| Climate region | a large area with similar climate conditions |
| prevailing winds | directional winds that usually blow in a region; they move huge air masses from place to place |
| What can carry more water vapor, warm air or cold air? | warm air |
| What happens when warm air with a lot of water vapor rises and cools? | Water comes out of the air as precipitation |
| The amount of water vapor in prevailing winds depends on what two things? | (1) Whether the winds are warm or cold air, and (2) where the winds come from. |
| Winds that blow inland from oceans carry ___________ water vapor than winds that blow from over land. | more |
| The Sahara Desert is near both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, but it is dry. Why? | Because most of the prevailing winds blow in from land and not from the ocean. [The prevailing winds are the dry northeast trade winds bringing cool, sinking air from southwest Asia.] |
| Where there are mountains, precipitation falls on the ___________ side. | windward (the side the oncoming wind hits) |
| The air on the ___________ side of a mountain is cool and dry. | leeward (the downwind side) |
| The 4 main factors that influence temperature | (1) latitude, (2) altitude, (3) distance from large bodies of water, and (4) ocean currents |
| How latitude affects temperature | Usually climates of places farther away from the equator are cooler than areas close to the equator |
| What is latitude? | The distance a place is from the equator |
| What are the 3 temperature zones of Earth's surface, based on latitude? | (1) the tropical zone, (2) polar zones, (3) temperate zones |
| Where is the tropical zone? | The area near the equator, from 23 degrees north of the equator to 23 degrees south. The climates there are warm because that zone receive direct sunlight all year round. |
| Where are the polar zones? | The zone near the poles, from 66.5 degrees north to north pole and from 66.5 deg. south to the south pole. Cold climates because the sun's rays hit at a lower angle. |
| Where are the temperate zones? | Between the topical and the polar zones, both north and south of the equator. sun's rays direct in summer, indirect in winter; climates warm to hot in summer; cool to cold in winter. |
| How can altitude affect climate? | In the case of high mountains, altitude affects climate more than latitude. Ex: Mt. Kilimanjaro is near the equator, but because it is so high, it is covered in snow all year round. |
| How do large bodies of water affect climate? | Oceans or large lakes often greatly moderate, or make less extreme, the temperatures of nearby land; marine climates |
| What areas have marine climates? | Much of the west coasts of North America, South America, and Euroope have relatively warm winters and cool summers because prevailing winds come from a body of water. |
| What are continental climates? | Climates with more extreme temperatures--cold winters, and warm or hot summers; too far inland to be warmed or cooled by the oceans. Ex: Most of Canada & Russia, and the central U.S. |
| ocean currents | streams of water within the oceans that move in regular patterns |
| Where do warm ocean currents run? | Usually carry warm water from the tropics to the poles |
| Where do cold ocean currents run? | Bring cold water from the polar zones toward the equator |
| What is the best-known warm-water current and where does it run? | The Gulf Stream [see map on p. 518]. It gives Ireland & southern England a mild, wet climate despite their relatively high latitude |
| El Nino | a warm water current that occurs every 2 to 7 years in the Pacific Ocean. |
| How does El Nino affect climate? | It causes shifts in weather patterns around the world, bringing unusual and often severe conditions to different areas. |
| Microclimate | A small area with specific climate conditions different from surrounding areas; example: grove of trees is more humid than a nearby open field |
| What can result in a microclimate? | Inland mountains, lakes, forest, and other natural features can influence climate nearby. |
| What causes the seasons? | The tilt of Earth's axis as Earth travels around the sun [see diagram on text p. 521] |
Created by:
Triana Silliman
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