1
Q
What is Weather?
A
- Weather is the hour to hour and day to day variability in atmospheric conditions.
- This includes temperature, precipitation, humidity, air pressure and wind at any specific location and these conditions can change rapidly.
2
Q
What is Climate?
A
- Climate is the long-term average of weather and its extremes
- Climate is usually generally predictable, as weather is much more variable
3
Q
At the Global Scale, what three primary forces that regulate mountain climates are:
A
- ) Latitude (distance from the equator)
- ) Elevation (height above sea level)
- ) Continentality (proximity of distance to large water bodies such as oceans)
4
Q
Why are temperatures higher near the equator?
A
- The sun’s rays hit the Earth directly concentrating solar radiation. In contrast, at higher latitudes, the sun’s rays hit the earth at an angle (because of its sphere shape) causing the same solar radiation to be spread over a larger area
5
Q
What is seasonality? Seasonality is greater or less at higher latitudes?
A
- How temperatures fluctuate during a year
- Greater
6
Q
True or False: The Earth is closer to the Sun during the summer and further away from the sun during the winter…
A
- False - this is a common misconception. The northern hemisphere is actually closer to the sun during the winter, and further away in the summer.
7
Q
What three factors cause seasonality to be greater in higher latitudes?
A
- ) The tilt of the earth on its axis
- ) The revolution of the earth around the sun
- ) The greater variation in solar radiation
8
Q
At what angle, relative to the sun, is the earth tilted on its axis?
A
- 23.5 degrees
9
Q
During summer in the Northern Hemisphere, solar radiation strikes the Earth most directly near the..
A
- Tropic of Cancer around the latitude of 23.5 degrees North.
10
Q
During summer in the Southern Hemisphere, solar radiation strikes the Earth most directly near the..
A
- Tropic of Capricorn around the latitude of 23.5 degrees South.
11
Q
What is the main point to remember about temperatures across the earth?
A
- There is a very predictable temperature imbalance over the surface of our planet created by uneven solar radiation across the latitudes.
12
Q
What is Atmospheric Circulation?
A
- Large scale movement of air on the surface of the earth, created by uneven solar radiation across latitudes, that controls global patterns of wind and precipitation
13
Q
What is Air Temperature?
A
- Air temperature is just a measure of how hot or cold the air is
14
Q
What is Air Density?
A
- The compactness of molecules in the air
- Hot air is less dense than cool air because the molecules are moving faster and filling up more space. This causes hot air to float upward, just like hot air balloons.
15
Q
What is Atmospheric Pressure?
A
- The downward force of air in the atmosphere caused by gravity pulling molecules of air towards the air
- Lower air density leads to lower atmospheric pressure, because the more spread out air molecules are, the less force they exert
16
Q
What is the Intertropical Conergence Zone?
A
- A zone near the equator where high temperatures create an area of low atmospheric pressure
17
Q
What are Pressure Gradients?
A
- Differences in atmospheric pressure between areas
- Air tends to move along pressure gradients from areas of high pressure to low pressure, forming wind and driving global circulation patterns
18
Q
Following the high to low pressure gradient, air flows along the surface of the earth from…
At the same time as this flow, what happens?
A
- Higher latitudes towards the equator
- At the same time as air moves across the surface of the earth towards the equator, warm air that rises near the equator moves towards the poles, forming circulation cells
19
Q
What are Circulation Cells?
A
- Belts that encircle the earth in which prevailing winds occur
20
Q
How many Circulation Cells are there?
A
- If the earth did not rotate, there would only be two, 1 in each hemisphere. However, since it does rotate, there are three in each hemisphere
21
Q
In the Hadley Cell, warm air that rises at the quatory and moves poleward sinks towards the ground around…
A
- 30 degrees latitude, creating high pressure zones. These high pressure zones around 30 degrees cause air to diverge and flow back towards the equator completing the Hadley Cell
22
Q
What is the Coriolis Effect?
A
- The earth deflects winds so they do not flow directly north and south. This is because of the rotation of the earth
23
Q
In what direction does the earth rotate?
A
East to west
24
Q
In the northern hemisphere, winds appear to be deflected in which direction?
A
To the Right
25
In the southern hemisphere, winds appear to be deflected in which direction?
To the Left
26
What are Trade Winds?
- The winds in the Hadley cell that tend to blow west and towards the equator are called Trade Winds
27
What are Westerlies?
- These are prevailing winds at the Midlatitudes, that blow from west towards the east and upwards towards the poles
28
What are Easterlies?
- These are prevailing winds at high latitudes, that blow from east towards the west and towards the equator
29
What is the Water Cycle?
- The movement of water between the earth's oceans, atmosphere, and land
30
What is Evaporation?
- Conversion of water from its liquid state on the earth to a gaseous state in the air
31
What is Condensation?
- At lower temperatures, air molecules move slower causing many of them to convert back into a liquid state in a process called condensation
- The rising of moist, warm air causes areas of low atmospheric pressure to be associated with cloudiness and high levels of precipitation
32
Where are the High Pressure zones and what does that mean for climate?
- 30 degrees north and south of the equator
| - This means that climates here are more dry and deserts form. The Himalayas and Andes are in High Pressure zones
33
As elevation increases, atmospheric pressure...
... decreases. This is because temperatures decrease with elevation, and heat is spread out over a greater area
34
Is solar radiation higher or lower at higher elevations?
- Higher
| - This means that higher elevations receive more ultraviolet radiation or UV radiation
35
What is the Mountain Mass Effect?
- This is when large mountains that are massed together influence regional climates
36
What is Continentality?
- Mountains proximity to large bodies of water such as oceans
37
The further inland you are, the more continental your location. True or False?
True
38
Where are daily and seasonal temperature differences greater and smaller when comparing coastline mountain ranges to landlocked mountain ranges?
- Greater in landlocked
| - Smaller in Coastline
39
What is Orographic Precipitation?
- This is precipitation that occurs when topographic barriers force air to rise, like when mountains intercept air masses, forcing them upward, leading to cloud formation and increasing precipitation in low-lying areas
40
Indicate what is greater or less for continental mountains:
1. ) Temperature Extremes
2. ) Cloudiness
3. ) Precipitation
1. ) Temperature Extremes - Greater
2. ) Cloudiness - Less
3. ) Precipitation - Less
41
What are the two sides of a mountain called in regards to prevailing winds? Which side has more precipitation?
1. ) Windward Side - more precipitation
| 2. ) Leeward Side - less precipitation, and rain shadow
42
What is a Foehn, and how does it happen?
- Chinook winds, dry warm winds that flow downslope that are caused from air descending on the leeward side of a mountain encountering higher atmospheric pressure and compressing, causing it to warm
43
What is Slope Aspect?
- The direction the slope of a mountain is facing, the angle of the slope
44
What is Topography?
- The physical features of the landscape
45
When is maximum solar radiation relieved by mountains?
- When they are perpendicular to the sun's rays
- Ex.) 45 degrees south, maximum solar radiation is received when mountain slopes are at a 45 degree angle relative to the horizontal surface
46
What is Temperature Inversion?
- This occurs when there is a valley between two peaks, and the temperatures at the highest peak start to increase as you move downward, but then drastically decrease in the valley, and then increase appropriately as you move up the pass
- This occurs because cold dense air sinks into the valleys and the sun's rays may never hit those areas if the slopes are very steep
47
What are Microclimates?
- Microclimates are small areas with conditions that differ than those of the surrounding region
- They can be important habitats for many animals and plants that live in mountain environments
48
What is the Alpine Treeline?
- It is a transitional zone where beyond a certain elevation, environmental constraints prevent tree growth and the dominant vegetation shifts to low statured plants, such as shrubs and herbs and grasses
49
What is Flagging?
- Where tree limbs on the windward side of the mountain are unable to survive the high winds, so branches only form in alignment with the prevailing winds
50
What is the Latitude Influence on Treeline?
- Tree lines on mountains are higher at lower latitudes because they receive greater amounts of solar radiation
51
What is the Continentality Influence on Treeline?
- Mountains closer to continental interiors have higher tree lines because:
1. ) Less cloud cover means more solar radiation
2. ) Mountain mass effect retains heat
52
What are Ecotones?
- They are transitional zones between biomes
53
The transition zone between forests and alpine tundra is referred to as the...
Alpine Treeline ecotone
54
What is the Local Topography Influence on Treeline?
- Snow melt occurring later from accumulated snow in valleys prevents establishment of seedlings, and treeline would be lower
55
What is an Inverted Treeline?
- In some places, cold air drainage onto valley floors, or inversions, as we discussed earlier, may create inverted treelines
56
Tech Tip: What is SPF?
Sun Protection Factor
| - SPF 60 means 1/60 UV rays reach the skin
57
Interactive Map: Mount Kilimanjaro
Location - Tanzania, Africa
| Highest mountain in Africa and dormant stratovolcano
58
Interactive Map: The American Rockies
Location - Western United States
59
Interactive Map: The Himalayas
Location - A mountain range in Asia separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau
(Mount Everest highest peak in the world)
60
Interactive Map: Mount Kinabalu
Location - Borneo, Southeast Asia
| Home to 5-6000 species
61
Interactive Map: The Sierra Nevada
Location - Western United States
| Features Lake Tahoe
62
Interactive Map: The Tibetan Plateau
Location - Central and East Asia
| Roof of the World
63
Interactive Map: The Australian Alps
Location - Southeastern Australia
| Largest mountain range in Australia
INTD 280
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