Climate Questions
- 1. Section 1: What is climate? A. Climate is the pattern of weather that occurs in an area over _____________________ 1. Determines the types of plants or animals that can survive, and influences how people live 2. Elements that are averaged to determine climate: _________________, precipitation, air pressure, humidity, and days of sunshine B. Factors that affect climate: 1. Latitude—distance north or south of the_______________ a. Tropics (between 30° north and 30° south)—sun shines directly overhead, keeping temperatures high b. _____________ zones (60° north and 60° south to the poles)—sun shines at a low angle, keeping temperatures low c. Temperate zones (between the tropics and the polar zones) have true_______________. 2. Large bodies of water affect the climate of coastal areas by _______________ or giving off heat. 3. Ocean currents can bring cool or warm temperatures and __________________ to coastal areas. 4. Mountains affect their own climate as well as the climates of nearby areas. a. At the same latitude, the climate on a mountain is _________________ than the climate at sea level. b. Mountains cause air to rise, cool, and condense, creating a ________________ climate on the windward side of the mountain and a much drier climate on the leeward side. 5. Because of their large areas of solar radiation-absorbing pavement, _____________ frequently have higher temperatures than surrounding areas.
- 2. Section 2: Climate Types A. Koppen’s system of climate ___________________________ 1. Examined temperature, precipitation, and _____________ 2. Six types of climate: tropical, mild, dry, continental, polar, and _______________. B. Adaptation: any structure or behavior that helps an organism environment in its environment. 1. ___________ adaptations are body structures that help organisms survive in certain climates. a. Example: the _____________ of mammals insulates them from cold temperatures. b. Example: a cactus’s thick, fleshy __________ helps it hold water. 2. ___________ adaptations a. Example: ________________________ a period of greatly reduced activity during cold months b. Example: estivation - state of __________________, similar to hibernation, which occurs during periods of intense heat.
- 3. Section 3: Climatic Changes A. Seasons—short periods of climatic change caused by changes in the amount of _____________________________ an area receives 1. As Earth revolves around the Sun, different areas of Earth are ______________ toward the Sun. 2. The _____________ do not experience much seasonal temperature change. 3. High latitudes near the poles experience ____________ seasonal temperature change. B. El Niño —an occasional climatic event in which strong Pacific winds _______________ sometimes ___________________ 1. Effects of El Niño: a. Ocean temperatures near Peru _________________ b. The position and strength of one of the ____________________ wind and precipitation patterns around the world. c. Africa and Australia may experience 2. La Nina— The winds blowing across the Pacific are __________________ and may be altered, changing than normal. C. At times in the past, Earth’s climate was much warmer or colder than now. D. Causes of ___________________ change can operate over short or very long periods of time. 1. Solar radiation is blocked by larger numbers of solid and liquid entering the atmosphere. a. Catastrophic events such as _______________________________ and ___________________ collisions can cause climatic change. b. ______________________ can also cause climatic change.
- 4. 2. Variations in solar radiation, possibly related to the presence of___________________ can cause climatic change. 3. Earth’s movements in space can change the amount of reaching it. a. Earth’s _____________ changes about every 41,000 years. b. Earth’s ______________ wobbles in space. c. The shape of Earth’s _______________ changes over a 100,000-year cycle. 4. The movement of Earth’s __________________________ affects the transfer of heat on Earth. E. Climatic changes today 1. Greenhouse effect—a natural heating process that occurs when certain gases such as_________________________ _________________ and water vapor in Earth’s atmosphere trap heat 2. Global warming—Earth’s average global surface temperature is rising, possibly due to the increase in ____________________________ in our atmosphere. 3. Human activities affect the air in Earth’s atmosphere. a. Burning _____________________ increases the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. b. ________________ results in fewer trees to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. c. Individuals can help reduce the amount of __________________________ in the atmosphere.