Global Climate and Biomes APES

Weather

The short-term conditions of the atmosphere in a local area, including temperature, humidity, clouds, precipitation, wind speed, and atmospheric pressure.

Climate

The average weather that occurs in a given region over a long period of time, typically several decades.

Troposphere

The atmospheric layer closest to Earth where temperature decreases with altitude and weather occurs.

Stratosphere

The atmospheric layer where temperature increases with altitude, containing the ozone layer that absorbs UV rays from the Sun.

Albedo

The percentage of incoming solar energy that a surface reflects; a higher albedo means more solar energy is reflected and less is absorbed.

Adiabatic cooling

The process where rising air expands and cools due to lower pressure at higher altitudes.

Latent heat release

The release of energy when water vapor in the atmosphere condenses into liquid water, warming the surrounding air.

Hadley cells

Convection currents that cycle between the equator and 30 degrees N and S, driving patterns of precipitation and dry conditions.

Coriolis Effect

The phenomenon that causes moving objects, like air and water, to appear to curve rather than move in straight lines due to Earth's rotation.

Upwelling

When surface water diverges, allowing deep, nutrient-rich water to rise, supporting productive ecosystems and fisheries.

ENSO (El Niño-Southern Oscillation)

A recurring climate pattern involving changes in ocean temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific, affecting global weather.

El Niño Year

A phase of ENSO where trade winds weaken, warm water moves eastward, leading to increased precipitation in the Americas and dry conditions in Southeast Asia.

La Niña Year

A phase of ENSO where trade winds strengthen, cool ocean temperatures dominate, resulting in cooler, drier weather in the Americas and increased storm activity.

Rain shadow effect

A climatic phenomenon where moist air rises over mountains, causing precipitation on the windward side and dry conditions on the leeward side.

Marine biomes

Aquatic biomes that include oceans and their ecosystems, characterized by different zones based on light penetration, such as photic, disphotic, and aphotic zones.

Freshwater biomes

Aquatic biomes that include lakes, ponds, streams, and rivers, typically with low salinity levels.

Wetlands

Boundary regions between terrestrial and aquatic biomes, saturated with water and characterized by specific vegetation types like marshes and swamps.

Thermohaline circulation

Global ocean circulation driven by differences in temperature and salinity, creating a conveyor belt of deep ocean currents.

Trade Winds

Winds that blow from east to west in the tropics, important for global weather patterns.

Westerlies

Winds that blow from west to east in the mid-latitudes, affecting weather patterns in those regions.