Climate Change and Weather Study Guide

These flashcards cover key concepts regarding climate change, atmospheric conditions, wind and weather phenomena, and their definitions.

What is climate change?

Climate change is the long-term change in typical weather patterns and temperature around the world.

What are the effects of climate change?

Climate change can affect the water cycle, water levels, air quality and pollution, livability of Earth, food quality and availability, and weather patterns.

Which industries contribute the most to greenhouse gas emissions?

The largest industries that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions are gas and oil companies.

Which countries are the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions?

The three largest countries that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions are China, the United States of America, and India.

What are the largest contributors to greenhouse gases from individual countries?

Electricity and heat are the largest contributors for greenhouse gases for individual countries.

Name a solution to combat climate change.

Solutions include the use of renewable energy, legislation to protect air quality, and developing better crops.

What are the five layers of the atmosphere?

The five layers of the atmosphere are the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere.

Where is the ozone layer located and what does it do?

The ozone layer is located in the stratosphere and protects the Earth from harmful UV rays.

How can human-made chemicals affect the ozone layer?

Human-made chemicals like CFCs and BFCs can damage and deplete the ozone layer.

What do greenhouse gases do?

Greenhouse gases trap heat inside Earth’s atmosphere and heat up the planet.

List the six major greenhouse gases.

The six major greenhouse gases are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, and halogenated gases.

What are the three kinds of winds?

The three kinds of winds are primary, secondary, and tertiary winds.

What are primary winds also called?

Primary winds are also called prevailing winds.

What is the water cycle made up of?

The water cycle is made up of evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.

Define absolute humidity.

Absolute humidity measures the exact amount of water vapor in the air.

Define relative humidity.

Relative humidity measures the percentage of water vapor in the air compared to the maximum amount of water vapor the air can hold at a given temperature and pressure.

How do clouds form?

Clouds form when warm air rises into higher levels of the troposphere.

What type of precipitation is rain?

Rain is the precipitation of liquid water.

What is sleet?

Sleet is precipitation of ice pellets that are melted snowflakes that refreeze before hitting Earth.

What characterizes a thunderstorm?

A thunderstorm is a rain storm that includes lightning and thunder.

What is a tornado?

A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that connects the Earth to a cumulonimbus cloud.

What defines a blizzard?

A blizzard is a strong snowstorm with low visibility and high winds.