L2 Climate

• Refers to the short-term variations in atmospheric phenomena that interact with and affect the environment and living things on Earth 


  Weather
• Describes the average weather conditions over a long period of time


  Climate
• An imaginary line around middle of a planet that separates north from south


  Equator
• Path of the sun around the planet/earth. It is near the equator

  Ecliptic
• Two points on ecliptic with greatest distance from the celestial equator


  Solstice
• The sun is in the Northernmost position/highest in the sky (hot). Day is the longest around Jun 21


  Summer solstice
• Sun is in the Southernmost position/lowest in the sky (cold). Day is shortest around Dec 21


  Winter solstice
• Two point where ecliptic intersects the celestial equator therefore day and night have equal duration


  Equinox
• This is the transition between summer to winter

  Autumnal equinox
• Transition from winter to summer

  Spring/Vernal equinox
• Horizontal lines that measure distance north or south of the equator


  Latitude
• Vertical lines that measure east or west of the meridian


  Longitude
• What zone is considered to be at +20° 


  Tropical zone
• Higher latitude regions receive less light and energy from the sun; therefore, it has _____


  Low temperature
• Lower-latitude regions receive more light and energy from the sun; therefore, it has ______


  High temperature
• What do you call the height above sea level?


  Altitude
• How tall is Mt. Everest to its peak? (it is the highest altitude mountain above sea level)

  29,032/29,000 feet
• As altitude increases, t__________ and a__ p_______ de_______s


  temperature, air pressure, decreases
• As altitude decreases, t__________ and a__ p_______ in______s



  temperature, air pressure, increases
• Describes change in air flow when the topography of the land forces air

  Orographic effect
• A patch of land that has been forced to become a desert because mountain ranges blocked precipitation


  Rain shadow effect
• What are winds that blow from a single direction over a specific area of earth


  Prevailing winds
• Is the process through which heat is trapped near Earth's surface by substances known as 'greenhouse gases.' 


  Greenhouse effect
• The gases that trap the Sun's heat in the atmosphere is called?


  Greenhouse gases
• Describes the current rise in the average temperature of the Earth's air and oceans


  Global warming
• Refers to long-term change in temperatures and weather patterns


  Climate change
• Refers to the irregular, abnormal and lengthy warming in the eastern part of the Pacific Ocean (warmer water, weaker trade winds)


  El Niño
• Refers to the periodic cooling of sea-surface temperatures across the east-central equatorial Pacific (cooler water, stronger trade winds)

  La Niña
• Is the stronger impact caused by human activities/emissions and greenhouse gases

  enhanced G.E.