2.3 weather and climate

• what is relief rainfall

  warm air rises over high areas, cools , condenses and then it rains
• what is convectional rainfall

  when the land heats up and causes air to rise, cool, condense and rains
• what is frontal rainfall

  when a cold and warm front meet, a depression forms
• what is a low pressure system

  a depression
• what are the characteristics of a depression

  cloudy

  windy

  rainy
• how long on average do depressions last

  12 hours - 2 days
• what is a high pressure system

  an anticyclone
• what are characteristics of an anticyclone

  stable conditions

  clear skies

  dry
• what makes weather extreme

  intensity

  unpredictability

  damage

  scale

  duration
• what are the 2 case studies

  cyclone idai and californian droughts
• what was cyclone idai

  a low pressure system
• what was Californian droughts

  a high pressure system
• define weather

  the day to day changes in an atmosphere
• define climate

  overall patterns of the weather
• how does latitude affect climate

  temperatures decrease the further away you get from the equator
• how does altitude affect the climate

  locations at a higher altitude have colder temperatures
• how does air pressure affect the climate

  high pressure brings fair weather and low pressure brings cloud and rain
• how does distance from the sea affect the climate

  coastal locations are cooler in summer and warmer in winter
• how do ocean currents affect the climate

  a warm ocean current keeps britain warm and wet
• how does prevailing wind affect the climate

  the prevailing wind is in the south west, bringing warm moist air
• describe hot semi-arid grasslands

  minimal precipitation

  hot summers
• describe tropical equatorial areas

  hot average temperature all year round

  high monthly precipitation
• how are low pressure systems formed

  when air lifts off the earths surface
• how are high pressure systems formed

  when air pushes down on the earths surface
• what is a warm front

  when warm air is coming, produces cloud and rain
• what is a cold front

  cold air is coming with high winds and heavy rain
• what is an occluded front

  when the cold catches up with the warm front