Study Guide Unit 11 Climate
OVERVIEW: This unit addresses the interaction of atmospheric conditions and the effects of these on climate.
#1 Students will understand the effects of the relative positions of the earth, moon and sun.
Relate the tilt of the earth to the distribution of sunlight throughout the year and its effect on climate.
#2 Students will understand how the distribution of land and oceans affects climate.
Demonstrate that land and water absorb and lose heat at different rates and explain the resulting
effects on weather patterns.
#3 Students will describe various sources of energy and with their uses and conservation.
Explain the role of the sun as the major source of energy and its relationship to wind and water energy.
QUESTIONS
#1 How does the sun interact with the earth to produce climate?
#2 How does the tilt of the earth affect the seasons and Earth’s climate?
#3 How does an ocean affect the climate of adjacent land?
#4 How does the sun’s heating of water in the tropics affect climate in the rest of the world?
#5 What happens to water after it evaporates from the oceans and land?
ATMOSPHERE
1. The sun is the major source of energy for all natural events on Earth.
2. The sun is the major source of energy for phenomena on the Earth's surface, including winds, ocean currents, and waves.
3. An atmosphere is the mixture of gases that surrounds a planet, such as Earth.
4. Our atmosphere absorbs the radiation from the sun, heating the earth.
5. Nitrogen and Oxygen are the two most prevalent gasses in Earth’s atmosphere.
6. The atmosphere is made up of78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen, and 1% other gasses.
7. List the 5 layers of the atmosphere in order.
Troposphere
Stratosphere
Mesosphere
Thermosphere
Exosphere
8. The Troposphere is the densest layer and it contains approximately 90% of the mass of the entire atmosphere.
9. All weather occurs in the Troposphere.
10. The Stratosphere contains the ozone layer which protects the planet from the sun’s radiation.
11. The Mesosphere is the coldest layer of the atmosphere.
12. The Thermosphere has the most energy of any other layer of the earth’s atmosphere. This layer absorbs the most radiation from the sun.
13. The exosphere is the uppermost region of Earth's atmosphere as it gradually fades into the vacuum of space.
14. Air in the exosphere is extremely thin - in many ways it is almost the same as the airless void of outer space.
15. As altitude increases, the density of the air decreases.
16. Airplanes fly faster in higher altitudes because the air is less dense.
WIND
17. The sun is the major source of energy for events on the surface of the earth including wind, ocean currents, and waves.
18. Uneven heating of the Earth’s surface is responsible for making the weather on Earth
19. Convection is heat transfer through liquid or gas.
20. Conduction is heat transfer through direct contact with solids.
21. The equator receives the greatest amount of direct sunlight throughout the year.
22. The pole regions receive the least amount of sunlight throughout the year.
23. Large convection currents are formed because of the temperature differences between the equator and the poles.
24. Theses convections currents produce global wind systems.
25. The rotation of the earth makes the large wind systems curve. This is called the Coriolis Effect.
26. Warm air rises. The farther it gets away from the Earth, the colder it gets. As it gets colder, it becomes more dense. It then falls back towards Earth. This continual movement of air in a circular pattern in the atmosphere is known as convection currents.
27. Wind is formed by differences in temperature and pressure in air.
28. Cold air is more dense and hasmore pressure than warm air.
29. Wind always blows from areas with more density to areas with less density.
30. Warm air rises. This warm air then makes an area of low pressure.
31. Waves transfer energy from one place to another. Waves in oceans and lakes are caused by wind blowing over the surface of the water.
32. The Coriolis Effect is caused by the Earth’s rotation.
CLIMATE
33. Heat energy carried by ocean currents has a strong influence on climate around the world.
34. Oceans, holding a large amount of heat, have major effects on climate.
35. Because the oceans are such large bodies of water, they hold a large amount of heat. Therefore, the oceans have a great impact on climates.
36. The cycling of water in and out of the atmosphere plays an important role in determining climatic patterns.
37. Earth’s climate is influenced by elevation, latitude, surface currents, geography, and prevailing winds.
38. Climate and weather are not influenced by longitude.
39. Climate Zonesare divisions of Earth's climates into general climate zones according to average temperatures and average rainfall.
40. The three major climate zones on the Earth are the polar, temperate, and tropical zones.
41. Temperatures in these three climate zones are determined mainly by the location, or latitude, of the zone.
42. Polar climate zone isthe coldestclimate zone. The temperatures are almost always below freezing.
43. Temperate climate zones have moderate temperatures and moderate rainfall year-round.
44. Temperate climate zones contain most of the Earth’s land masses
45. Tropical climate zones have the warmest average temperatures and get the most rain.
46. Draw a picture of the three major climate zones on Earth.
47. Elevations affect climate and weather. Higher elevations are colder.
48. An urban heat island is the term used for cities that have warmer weather than the area in the same climate zone. Because cities have large amounts of concrete, steel, and glass it will be hotter since these objects attract and retain heat longer than vegetation.
SEASONS
49. Seasons are caused by the tilt of the Earth on its axis as it rotates around the Sun.
50. The tilt of the earth causes the sun’s rays to strike different parts of Earth at different angles.
51. Earth turns daily on an axis that is tilted relative to the plane of the Earth's yearly orbit around the sun.
52. Sunlight falls more intensely on different parts of the earth during different times of the year do the position of the Sun and Earth.
53. The angle of the Sun’s rays striking the Earth changes throughout the year due to the tilt of the Earth on its axis, causing our seasons.
54. The difference in heating of the earth's surface produces the planet's seasons.
55. The Earth’s tilt on its axis is the primary reason for the seasons.
56. The North Pole receives more radiation and sunlight during the summer than in winter.
57. This changing amount of sunlight causes locations farther away from the equator to experience more temperature variations than areas near the equator.
58. The hemisphere tilted toward the sun is experiencing summer. The hemisphere tilted away from the sun is experience winter.
59. When the Northern Hemisphere is experiencing fall, the Southern Hemisphere is experiencing spring.
IMPACT ON CLIMATE
60. Scientists believe carbon dioxide, CO2,is responsible for global warming.
61. Events, such as volcanic eruptions and clear cutting of trees in the rainforest, can have global effects on weather patterns and climate throughout the world.
62. Scientists theorize that global warming would cause higher ocean levels and global freezing would cause lower ocean levels.
63. The Milankovitch Theory is one of the major theories that explain how an ice age on Earth could have occurred.
64. The Milankovitch Theory suggests that the earth wobbles slightly as it orbits around the Sun and causes a varied difference in the distance the earth is from the sun. The change in distance causes more or less radiation/heat during different periods of time.
65. According to the Milankovitch, lower temperatures occur when the earth is farther away from the sun. These lower temperatures caused an ice age.
66. Scientists theorize that large volcanic activity can create dust clouds that block the sun and create cooler temperatures on Earth.
67. The Greenhouse Effect is the natural heating of a planet where gases in the atmosphere of a planet trap thermal energy (heat).
68. Scientist theorize that pollution by humans has increased the Greenhouse Effect on Earth causing Global Warming.
69. List possible reasons why the Earth has experienced ice ages in the past.
asteroids
volcanoes
solar flares
Milankovitch Theory
70. The ozone layer shields the earth from the sun’s harmful radiation.
71. The chemical composition of ozone is three atoms of oxygen and written as O3.
72. There is a hole in the ozone layer over the South Pole.
73. The release of Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) into the atmosphere has caused the hole in the ozone layer to form.
74. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) have been used in aerosol sprays, refrigeration, air conditioners, foams, cleaning solvents, and electrical components.
75. Because of the damage to the ozone layer, Aerosol sprays are now banned in the United States and Europe.
VOCABULARY
latitude – parallel lines measures north-south position between the poles – parallel to the equator. Latitude has a direct impact on an area’s weather
longitude – lines that measure east-west position
atmosphere – a mixture of gases that surrounds a planet, such as Earth
airpressure – the measure of the force with which air molecules push on a surface
convection – the transfer of thermal energy (heat) by the circulation of a liquid or a gas
conduction – the transfer of thermal energy (heat) by direct contact of solid objects
Greenhouse Effect – the natural heating of a planet where gases in the atmosphere of a planet trap thermal energy (heat)
weather describes the atmospheric conditions at a specific place at a specific point in time
climate is the average pattern for weather over a period of months, years, decades, or longer in a specific place