Geography weather and climate exam 5

what kind of climate does New Zealand have

temperate (marine west coast climate)

climate

weather over time

three zones of climate according to ancient Greeks

torrid, temperate, and frigid zone

torrid zone according to ancient greeks

warmer areas south of the Mediterranean

temperate zone according to ancient greek

the ideal climate where ancient Greeks lived

frigid zone according to ancient Greek

north of the Mediterranean

climatology

study of climate

climatic regions

areas with similar weather statistics

genetic classification

a climate classification based on causative factors (the interaction of air masses). It explains climate regarding net radiation, thermal regimes, or air mass dominance over a region

empirical classification

a climate classification based on statistical data (temperature and precipitation)

what did Koppen base the empirical classification on

native vegetation

types of tropical climates

tropical rainforest, monsoon, savanna

types of mesothermal climates

humid subtropical (hot summer), humid subtropical (winter dry), Mediterranean, marine west coast

types of microthermal climates

humid continental (hot summer), humid continental (mid summer), subarctic (cool summer), subarctic (cold winter)

types of polar/ highland climates

tundra, ice cap and ice sheet

types of dry climates

tropical, subtropical hot desert, midlatitude cold desert, tropical subtropical hot steppe, midlatitude cold steppe

what are the things climograph have to depict

monthly temperature and monthly precipitation

tropical climate occupies how much of the earth’s surface

about 19%

characteristics of tropical climate

consistent day length, consistently warm temperatures, lots of rain

characteristics of tropical rainforest climate

moist and warm, thunderstorms daily from mid-afternoon to late evening, water surpluses create large streams, lush evergreen, trees hardwood

characteristics of tropical monsoon climate

lots of precipitation, dry season that lasts 1 or more months when ITCZ moves away from the area, rainfall brought by ITCZ falls from 6 to 12 months

where is the tropical monsoon climate found

coastal regions of southwest India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Southwestern Africa, French Guiana, and northwestern and southeastern Brazil

characteristics of tropical savanna climate

precipitation is seasonal, typically has 2 temperature maximums during the year, rolling grasslands with scattered shrubs and isolated trees

how much of the earths land do polar climates take up

about 13%

characteristics of polar and highland climates

low sun altitude, extremely low humidity

which hemisphere does tundra climates occur mostly

northern

tundra refers to

the characteristic vegetation of the high latitudes and high elevations, where plant growth is restricted by cold temperatures and a short growing season

annual precipitation in tundra climates

less than 360 mm (14 in)

where are earths two ice sheets located

Antarctic continent and Greenland

characteristics of ice-cap and ice-sheet climates

dominated by dry, frigid air masses and temperatures are rarely above 0 C, receives less than 8 cm of precipitation

how much of earth is made up of dry climates

30%

arid deserts

precipitation supply is less than ½ of the natural moisture demand

semiarid steppes

precipitation supply is more than ½ of the natural demand

2 of the driest places in nonpolar regions

Namib desert and Atacama desert

xerophyte

a plant which is able to survive in an environment with little available water

where do temperate or cold deserts occur

temperate regions at higher latitudes

tropical, subtropical hot steppe climate characteristics

around the periphery of hot deserts, variable rainfall throughout the year

overcultivation

makes grasslands look like deserts. The soil cannot retain enough water or nutrients for vegetation to grow

What happens when oceans acidify

they are absorbing excess thermal energy from the warming atmosphere

climate change science

the interdisciplinary study of the causes and consequences of changing climate past climate

ways to measure past climate

proxy indicators of ice-core data, sediments, coral reefs, ancient pollen, tree rings

ways to measure current climate

weather station data, remote sensing data, numerical modeling using General Circulation Models (GCM)

ways to measure future climate

numerical prediction using GCMs

what is paleoclimatology

the study of Earth’s past climates which tells us that Earth’s climate has fluctuated over hundreds of millions of years

hothouse climates

periods with relatively warmer temperatures

icehouse climates

periods of cold temperatures during which glaciers covered Earth’s surface

snowball earth hypothesis

that earth’s surface became entirely or nearly frozen at least once

how much of the past 500 years has earth been in the hothouse state

about 80%

how much of oxygen is oxygen-16

99.76%

which oxygen evaporates easier

¹⁶O

what can ocean cores contain

dust, minerals, and fossils

where are most ice cores taken from

Greenland and Antarctica

Last time temperatures were like the present day

Eemian interglacial about 125,000 years ago

Carbon-14 is

unstable

what is the half-life of ¹⁴C

5730 years

in what climate do more than half of the worlds population reside

mesothermal climates

how much of the Earth’s land is mesothermal climate

13%

how does latitude effect mesothermal climates

moving poleward from the tropics summers transition from hot to warm to cool

how much more precipitation do humid subtropical winter dry climates during the summer compared to their driest winter month

10 times

Marine West Coast climate characteristics

mild winters and cool summers, frequent storms with cool, moist air masses, 30-60 days of coastal fog, big dairy farming area

Mediterranean dry-summer climate characteristics

the average precipitation of 14 in. to 26 in. per year occurs during the cool winter season, plants have developed deep taproots, thick bark, and leathery leaves, and trees are relatively small

how much of earth’s land is microthermal climates

about 25%

how latitude effects microthermal climates

summers become cool moving northward, with winters becoming cold to very cold

subarctic cool summer climates

impacted by recent glacial activity, eroded bedrock, and shallow basins some filled with organic bog materials

permafrost

permanently frozen subsoil

dendrochronology

the scientific method of dating tree rings to the exact year they were formed in order to analyze atmospheric conditions during different periods in history

in lake cores when do light-colored layers occur

during warm months

stalactite

an icicle-shaped formation that hangs from the ceiling of a cave

stalagmite

an upward-growing mound of mineral deposits that have precipitated from water dripping onto the floor of a cave

flowstone

a deposit of minerals from water flowing over the floor or walls of a cave

younger dryas

is a climatic event from c. 12,900 to c. 11,700 years ago

how much did temperatures drop during the younger dryas

2 to 6 C

little ice age

from about 1250 to 1850 tempertures cooled globally

mechanisms of natural climate fluctuation

solar variability, earth’s orbital cycles, continental position and topography, atmospheric gases and aerosols

how do gases and dust get into the atmosphere

volcanic eruptions

what climate type has the largest land area

dry

describe biomes

the temperature and amounts of water and sunlight an area gets

rainforest soils

infertile with a very thin layer of fertile soil

how much of the world’s population lives in mesothermal climates

more than half

where in the U.S. is the hot-subtropical climate

southeastern

Mediterranean vegetation

deep taproots, thick bark, and leathery leaves

¹⁸O/¹⁶O ratio

High ¹⁸O/¹⁶O = cold period

Low ¹⁸O/¹⁶O = warm periods

mount Pinatubo

cooled global temperatures 1 F for about 2-3 years

medieval climate

medieval warm period was a time of warmer climate primarily in the North Atlantic region lasting from about c. 800 to c. 1200