geography climate cards (yr9)

• At the equator, the suns rays are most concentrated. This means it is hotter. This one fact causes global circulation at different latitudes.
• Tropical storms occur in low latitude between 5 and 30 degrees north and south from the equator (in the tropics.) Ocean temperature needs to be above 27 degrees. Happen between summer and autumn.
• Sequence of a Tropical Storm!

  1. Air is heated above warm tropical oceans.
  2. Air rises under low pressure conditions.
  3. Strong winds form as rising air draws in more air and moisture causing torrential rain.
  4. Air spins due to Coriolis effect around a calm eye of the storm.
  5. Cold Air sinks in the eye so it is clear and dry.
  6. Heat is given off as it cools powering the storm.
  7. On meeting land, it loses source of heat and moisture so loses power.
• Climate change will affect tropical storms too. Warmer oceans will lead to more intense storms - but not necessarily more frequent ones.
• Arctic Maritime Air Mass- from Artic. Wet, cold air brings snow in winters.
• Polar Continental Air Mass- From Central Europe. Hot air brings dry summers. Cold air brings snow in winters.
• Tropical Continental Air Mass- From North Africa. Hot, dry air brings hot weather in summer.
• Tropical Maritime Air Mass- From Atlantic. Warm, moist air brings cloud, rain and mild weather.
• Returning Polar Maritime- From Artic via North Atlantic. Mild, unstable air bringing cloud and rain showers.
• Polar Maritime Air Mass- From Greenland/Arctic Sea. Wet, Cold air brings cold showery weather.
• Southeast Trade Winds- Doldrums, low pressure rising air. 30 degrees from centre. Wet.
• Westerlies- Horse latitudes, dry high pressure descending air. 60 degrees from centre.
• Polar easterlies- High pressure descending air. 90 degrees from centre. Dry.
• Northeast Trade Winds- Doldrums, low pressure rising air. 30 degrees from centre. Wet
• As the air heats it rises- causing low pressure. As it cools, it sinks, causing high pressure. Winds move from high pressure to low pressure. They curve as of the Coriolis effect ( the turning of the Earth.)
• Prediction- Monitoring wind patterns allow path to be predicted. Use of satellites to monitor path to allow evacuation.
• Planning- Avoid building in high risk areas. Emergency drills, evacuation roots.
• Protection- Reinforced buildings and stilts to make safe. Flood defences e.g. Levees and sea walls. Replanting Mangroves.
• Managing Climate Change-

  Mitigation

  • Alternative energy production will reduce CO2 production.
  • Planting trees- help to remove carbon dioxide.
  • Carbon Capture- takes carbon dioxide from emission source is stored underground.
  • International Agreements e.g. The París Climate Agreement.
• Managing Climate Change-

  Adaption

  • Changes in agricultural systems need to react to changing rainfall and temperature patterns and threats of disease and pests.
  • Managing Water supplies- e.g. by installing water efficient devices and increasing supply through desalination plants.
  • Reducing risk from rising sea level would involve constructing defences such as The Thames Flood Barrier or restoring mangrove forests, or raising buildings on stilts.
• Evidence for climate change before human were on the planet. So some of it must be natural. However, the rate of change since the 1970s is unprecedented. Humans are responsible- despite what Mr Trump says!
• The Met Office has reliable climate evidence since 1914- but we can tell what happened before that using several methods.
• Ice and Sediment Cores-

  • Ice sheets are made up of layers of snow, one per year. Gases trapped in layers of ice can be analysed. Ice cores from Antartica show changes over the last 400,000 years.
  • Remains of organisms found in cores from the ocean floor can be traced back 5 million years.
• Pollen Analysis-

  • Pollen is preserved in sediment. Different species need different climatic conditions.
• Tree Rings-

  • A tree grows one new ring each year. Rings are thicker in warm, wet conditions.
  • This gives us reliable evidence for the last 10,000 years.
• Temperature Records-

  • Historical recorded date back to the 1850s. Historical records also tell us about harvest and weather report.
• Causes: Natural-

  • Orbit changes- The suns energy on the Earths surface changes as the Earths orbit is elliptical its axis is tilted on an angle.
  • Solar Output- sunspots increase to a maximum every 11 years.
  • Volcanic activity- volcanic aerosoles reflect sunlight away reducing global temperatures temporarily.
• Causes: Human-

  • Fossil fuels- release carbon dioxide with accounts for 50 percent of greenhouse gases.
  • Agriculture- accounts for around 20 percent of greenhouse gases due to methane production from cows etc. Larger populations and growing demand for met and rice increase contribution.
  • Deforestation- logging and clearing land for agriculture increases carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and reduces ability to planet to absorb carbon through photosynthesis.
• Effect of Climate Change: Social

  • Increased disease e.g. skin cancer and heart stroke
  • Winter deaths decrease with milder winters
  • Crop yields affected by up to 12 percent in South America but will increase in Northern Europe but will need more irrigation
  • Less ice in Arctic Ocean increases shipping and extraction of oil and gas reserves
  • Droughts reduce food and water supply in sub-Saharan Africa. Water scarcity in South and South-East Uk
  • Increased flood risk. 70 percent of Asia is at risk of increased flooding
  • Declining fish in some areas affect diet and jobs
  • Increased extreme wealth
  • Skiing industry in Alps threatened
• Effect of Climate Change: Environmental

  • increased drought in Mediterranean region.
  • lower rainfall causes food shortages for orang-utans in Borneo and Indonesia.
  • sea level rise leads to flooding and coastal erosion.
  • ice melts threaten habitat of polar bears.
  • warmer rivers affect marine wildlife.
  • forests in North America may experience more pests, disease and forest fires.
  • coral bleaching and decline in biodiversity.