Junior Cycle Geography: Climate and Weather Events

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering atmospheric cells, global winds, ocean currents, lines of latitude, air masses, and weather fronts from Chapter 22: Climate and Weather Events.

Latitude

The distance of a location north or south of the equator, measured horizontally in degrees from $0^\circ$ at the equator to $90^\circ$ at the North and South Poles.

The Equator

An invisible line that runs horizontally around the widest part of the globe at latitude $0^\circ$.

Earth's Axis

An invisible line that the Earth spins around from west to east (anticlockwise), tilted at an angle that affects sunlight intensity and causes the seasons.

Direct Sunlight

Sunlight received near the equator where the Sun's energy is concentrated on a small area, resulting in higher temperatures and greater intensity.

Indirect Sunlight

Sunlight received at an angle near the North and South Poles, spreading solar energy over a larger area and resulting in lower temperatures and more cloud cover.

Ocean Currents

Predictable and constant circular movements of warm or cool seawater around the planet, formed and influenced by wind, gravity, and water density.

Water Density

A physical factor influencing ocean currents that, in simple terms, refers to the weight of water.

North Atlantic Drift (NAD)

A warm ocean current that joins warm water flowing from the Gulf of Mexico across the Atlantic Ocean, traveling towards Ireland and warming its climate.

Labrador Current

A cold ocean current in the Northern Hemisphere that transports cold water from polar regions to meet the warmer currents of the Atlantic Ocean.

Atmospheric Cells

Predictable circular patterns of warm and cold air movement in the atmosphere (including Polar, Ferrel, and Hadley cells) within which global winds form and travel.

Prevailing Winds

Winds that blow in the same direction most of the time, typically named after the direction from which they originate.

Trade Winds

Constant winds that blow in a continuous direction towards the equator.

Air Masses

Large volumes of air, extending upwards into the atmosphere and across thousands of kilometres, that form over large surfaces such as continents and oceans with uniform temperature and humidity.

Humidity

A term referring to the amount of water vapour present in the air.

Front

The boundary between two different air masses where hot and cold air meet, typically associated with low-pressure conditions.

Cold Front

A front that forms when a cold air mass moves under a warm air mass and pushes it upwards, represented on weather maps by a blue line with triangles pointing in the direction of travel and bringing falling temperatures, cold and moist winds, and precipitation.

Polar Maritime Air Mass

An air mass originating from Greenland and the Arctic Sea that brings cold, wet air and showery weather to Ireland.

Arctic Maritime Air Mass

An air mass originating directly from the Arctic that brings cold, wet air and winter snow.

Returning Polar Maritime Air Mass

An air mass originating from Greenland and the Arctic via the North Atlantic that brings moist, mild, and unstable air with clouds and rain showers.

Polar Continental Air Mass

An air mass originating from Central Europe that brings hot air and dry summers, or cold air and snow during winter.

Tropical Maritime Air Mass

An air mass originating from the Atlantic Ocean that brings warm, moist air along with clouds, rain, and mild weather.

Tropical Continental Air Mass

An air mass originating from North Africa that brings hot, dry air and hot summer weather.