Earth's Climate Patterns exam Flashcards

Local short-term atmospheric conditions, usually measured over hours or days.

Long-term averages of weather conditions in a specific region, measured over years, decades, or centuries.

Climate

Imaginary lines measuring the distance north or south of the equator in degrees.

0 degrees

Latitudes at 23.5 degrees north and south, defining the tropical region.

Earth's 23.5-degree axial tilt and its orbit around the sun.

A large-scale cycle in global air circulation and precipitation extending from the equator to 30 degrees latitude.

A phenomenon caused by Earth's rotation that curves the paths of moving objects, including prevailing winds.

The property of water that allows it to resist temperature changes, stabilizing nearby land climates.

A dry, desert-like area on the leeward side of a mountain range.

Mountains forcing air to rise, cool, and lose moisture on the windward side, creating dry conditions on the leeward side.

Winds that blow in consistent directions over long periods, influenced by the Coriolis effect.

Massive systems of circulating ocean currents that transfer heat from the equator towards the poles.

The process that converts solar energy into chemical energy and removes CO₂ from the atmosphere, creating a cooling effect.

The evaporation and release of water as gas from plant leaves, forming rain clouds and creating a cooling effect.

Deforested regions reflect more solar energy, creating more heat and less cloud coverage, reducing the cooling effect.

They define the polar regions at 66.5 degrees latitude north and south.

It rises, cools, and causes precipitation, creating rainforests.

It causes variability in sunlight angles, creating seasons and influencing climate.

By creating rain shadows and influencing precipitation patterns.

Global air circulation impacts ocean surface currents, aligning the direction of prevailing winds with ocean gyres.

It helps cool the Earth by reducing greenhouse gases but can disrupt aquatic life by forming carbonic acid.

Forests create a cooling effect through photosynthesis and transpiration.

It causes hurricanes to rotate counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern hemisphere.

They mark the boundaries of the tropical region, which receives the most direct sunlight.

It causes variation in sunlight angles across latitudes, affecting global climate.

It stabilizes temperatures, making coastal regions have more stable climates compared to inland regions.

It creates high surface air pressure, inhibiting rain cloud formation and resulting in deserts.