Climate

• what do we mean by climate?

  the general long term state of the atmosphere
• what are the three main components of climate?

  precipitation, thermal conditions and seasonal variations
• what is precipitation like in zones of low pressure?

  high
• what is precipitation like in zones of high pressure?

  low
• name three of the things that can act as climate controls?

  atmospheric circulation, zones of prevailing wind direction and persistent pressure systems
• what do climate controls result in?

  latitudinal bands of prevalent climates
• are the latitudinal bands of prevalent climates static?

  no - they move north and south with the seasons
• what happens to the latitudinal bands of prevalent climates in january?

  they are shifted more southwards
• what happens to the latitudinal bands of prevalent climates in july?

  they are shifted northwards
• what is the boundary between warm tropical air and the cold polar air called?

  polar front
• what is a polar front?

  the boundary between warm tropical air and cold polar air
• when is the polar front the strongest and farthest south?

  in the cold winter months
• what is a polar high?

  where the air is cooled and sinks towards the ground, forming a high pressure system
• what is a polar low?

  when the cold polar air mixes with warm tropical air and rises up, creating a low pressure system
• at what latitudes are polar lows found?

  60 degrees north and south
• which way do the trade winds blow in the northern hemisphere?

  right
• which way do the trade winds blow in the southern hemisphere?

  left
• what are the trade winds blowing to the right in the northern hemisphere called?

  northeast trade winds
• what are the trade winds blowing to the left in the Southern Hemisphere called?

  southeast trade winds
• when is the movement of the ITCZ larger?

  when we have oceans and land parallel with each other
• where sees the biggest shift in ITCZ position?

  around the Indian Ocean
• what is the maximum movement that can be seen of the ITCZ?

  about 20 degrees north and south
• where is most precipitation seen and why?

  around the equator as it is where the trough of low pressure is seen