A&W Exam Questions

Why is there an energy deficit at higher latitudes?

• Incoming solar radiation is lower due to the curvature of the Earth

• Sun’s rays strike at a shallower angle, spreading energy over a larger area

• More atmosphere to pass through → scattering

• High albedo from snow and ice reflects more radiation

Name and explain two factors that influence the rate of weathering.

• Temperature

  • Freeze-thaw cycles increase with frequent temperature changes

  • Higher temperatures speed up chemical weathering (Van’t Hoff’s Law)

• Rock type & structure

  • Some minerals weather faster

  • Rocks with joints and bedding planes weather more quickly

What is albedo?

• % of incoming solar radiation reflected by a surface

• Light surfaces (ice/snow) = high albedo

• Dark surfaces = low albedo

Give 2 ways longwave radiation is prevented from leaving the atmosphere.

1. Absorbed/scattered by greenhouse gases, clouds, or dust

2. Re-radiated back to the surface (back radiation)

How does the distribution of land and sea affect seasonal temperatures?

Land and sea heat and cool at different rates due to their specific heat capacity.

Water has a higher specific heat capacity, so it heats up more slowly in summer and cools down more slowly in winter.

Therefore, in summer, land areas become hotter than nearby seas, and in winter, land cools more rapidly, making inland areas colder.

As a result, coastal areas experience milder seasonal variations, while continental interiors have more extreme temperature changes.

Furthermore, ocean currents can affect this variation — for example, the Gulf Stream brings warm water to Western Europe, moderating winter temperatures.

Thus, the relative position to land or sea strongly influences the amplitude of seasonal temperature changes.

Why is water liquid on the pavement and frozen on vegetation in winter?

Different surfaces absorb and retain heat differently. Pavement has low albedo and higher heat retention, keeping water above freezing.

Vegetation has higher albedo, and retains less heat, allowing water to freeze.
Also, conduction is slower in grass, so it cools faster.

Human activity like walking on pavements may also prevent freezing.

Why is water liquid on the pavement and frozen on vegetation in winter?

Different surfaces absorb and retain heat differently. Pavement has low albedo and higher heat retention, keeping water above freezing.

Vegetation has higher albedo, and retains less heat, allowing water to freeze.
Also, conduction is slower in grass, so it cools faster.

Human activity like walking on pavements may also prevent freezing.

Explain why there can be a difference between the state of water during the daytime and night-time.

During the day, shortwave radiation increases surface temperature, causing evaporation or melting of ice, converting water to vapour or liquid.

At night, no insolation means the surface loses heat via longwave radiation, leading to cooling, condensation, or freezing.

Therefore, dew may form on cold surfaces, or water may freeze, changing state.

what is latent heat transfer?

It is the heat involved during a change of state, such as evaporation (liquid to gas) or condensation (gas to liquid).

What is dew?

Dew is water droplets that form directly on a cold surfaces due to cooling and condensation of water vapour.

How does orographic uplift cause precipitation?

Moist air rises over a mountain → cools to dew point → condensation forms droplets → droplets coalesce into larger ones → eventually fall as precipitation.
This process creates relief rainfall on windward slopes.

Describe and explain the formation of an urban heat island.

An urban heat island (UHI) occurs when urban areas are consistently warmer than surrounding rural areas. This is primarily due to the materials used in cities, such as tarmac, concrete, and bricks, which have low albedo and therefore absorb more solar radiation during the day. As a result, they store heat and release it slowly at night, keeping urban areas warmer.

Furthermore, cities have less vegetation, which means reduced evapotranspiration. In rural areas, plants release moisture into the air, cooling the environment through latent heat transfer. The lack of this process in urban areas means more energy remains as sensible heat, contributing to higher temperatures.

In addition, heat is generated by human activities, such as transport, industry, and heating systems. This anthropogenic heat further adds to the urban energy balance. Also, tall buildings and narrow streets trap heat and reduce wind flow, limiting the ventilation that would otherwise cool the area.

Moreover, cities can have a ‘pollution dome’ — a layer of atmospheric pollution that traps outgoing longwave radiation, reinforcing the heat island effect, especially at night and during clear, calm anticyclonic weather.

Therefore, the UHI is a result of both urban structure and human activity, which together create a distinct microclimate compared to the surrounding countryside.

Describe the atmospheric process of convection.

The sun heats the Earth's surface, causing air to warm, expand, and rise. As it rises, it cools adiabetically, and if enough moisture is present, condensation occurs, forming clouds.

Explain how fog can form.

Fog is condensation near the Earth’s surface.

• Radiation fog: Radiation fog usually occurs in the winter, aided by clear skies and calm conditions. The cooling of land overnight by thermal radiation cools the air close to the surface. This reduces the ability of the air to hold moisture, allowing condensation and fog to occur.
  

• Advection fog: Advection fog occurs when moist, warm air from the sea passes over the colder land surface and is cooled. This also occurs in cold, clear and calm conditions.

Describe and explain how energy is transferred in the atmosphere by wind belts.

Energy is transferred globally through prevailing wind belts, linked to the three atmospheric circulation cells: Hadley, Ferrel, and Polar.

At the equator, intense solar radiation causes air to rise, forming the ITCZ. This warm air moves poleward in the upper atmosphere, then sinks at about 30° latitude, creating high pressure zones.

This movement forms the trade winds (from subtropics to equator), westerlies (30°–60°), and polar easterlies. These winds transfer thermal energy from warmer to cooler regions.

For example, westerlies carry warm air from the subtropics toward mid-latitudes.

When the ITCZ shifts seasonally, so do wind belts, redistributing heat dynamically.

Additionally, jet streams and Rossby waves act as fast-moving rivers of air in the upper troposphere, guiding weather systems and contributing to energy redistribution.

Thus, global wind belts are essential in maintaining climate balance and temperature gradients across the Earth’s surface.

Explain the formation of snow

Snow forms when there is moisture in the atmosphere and low temperatures. Water evaporates into water vapour, which condenses and freezes into ice crystals in the clouds.

As these crystals grow, they become heavier and fall. If the air is cold enough during descent, they remain frozen. In moist air, flakes may stick together, forming larger snowflakes.