complete geography notes (weather-climate)

Weather

Conditions in the atmosphere on a day-to-day basis over 24 hours (short term)

Isohyet

A line on a map that joins areas of equal rainfall

Temperature

The degree of hotness or coldness of an object

Precipitation

Any liquid or frozen water that forms in the atmosphere and falls back to Earth (e.g. rain

Stevenson Screen

A shelter for meteorological instruments that protects them from precipitation and heat while allowing free air circulation

Rain Gauge

An instrument used to collect and measure the amount of precipitation over a given period (usually 24 hours)

Maximum-Minimum Thermometer

Records the highest and lowest temperatures reached over a period (e.g. 24 hours)

Hygrometer

An instrument used to measure the humidity (amount of water vapour in the air)

Sunshine Recorder

Records the amount of sunlight received at a location during a day

Barometer

A scientific instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure

Anemometer

An instrument that measures wind speed and wind pressure

Wind Vane

A device that measures the direction of the wind

Weather Station

A place where weather elements are measured and recorded (often includes a Stevenson screen)

Humidity

The amount of water vapour in the air

Absolute Humidity

The actual mass of water vapour in a given volume of air at a specific temperature

Relative Humidity

The amount of water vapour in the air compared to the maximum it could hold at that temperature

Dew Point

The temperature at which air becomes saturated and condensation begins

Clouds

Masses of condensed water vapour in the atmosphere

Convectional Rainfall

Rainfall caused by rising warm air that cools and condenses

Orographic (Relief) Rainfall

Rainfall formed when moist air rises over mountains

Frontal Rainfall

Rainfall caused when warm and cold air masses meet

Atmospheric Pressure

The weight of air pressing down per unit area on Earth’s surface

Isobars

Lines joining places of equal pressure on a map

Pressure Gradient

The difference in air pressure between two places; steep gradients cause strong winds

Wind

The movement of air from high pressure to low pressure

Wind Rose

A diagram showing how often winds blow from different compass directions

Cloud Cover

The fraction of the sky covered by clouds

Altitude

The distance above sea level.

Aspect

The compass direction that a slope faces

Climate

The weather pattern over a long period of time

Climograph

A graph showing mean monthly temperature (line) and mean monthly rainfall (bars) for a place.

Deforestation

The cutting down and removal of trees from a forested area.

Equatorial climate

A type of tropical climate found between about 10–15° north and south of the equator

Latitude

The angular distance of a place north or south of the equator

Longitude

The angular distance of a place east or west of the Prime Meridian

Ocean currents

Large-scale

Precipitation

Any water that falls from the atmosphere to Earth (rain

Pressure

The force exerted by air on the Earth’s surface per unit area.

Prevailing winds

Winds that blow most frequently from a particular direction in a region.

Specific heat capacity

The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 kg of a substance by 1°C.

Temperature

The degree of hotness or coldness of the atmosphere or an object.

Weather

The short-term conditions of the atmosphere in a place

Diurnal range

The difference between the maximum day temperature and the minimum night temperature within 24 hours.

Annual range of temperature

The difference between the hottest month’s average temperature and the coldest month’s average temperature in a year.

Rain shadow

A dry region on the leeward side of mountains where moist air is blocked.

High pressure system

A region where air is sinking

Low pressure system

A region where air is rising

Adaptation

Special features or behaviours that help plants or animals survive in their environment.

Nutrient cycle

The continuous movement of nutrients through soil

Evapotranspiration

The combined process of water evaporation from the soil and transpiration from plants.

Convectional rainfall

Rainfall caused when the ground is heated

Monsoon

A seasonal wind system that brings heavy rainfall in summer and dry conditions in winter.

Greenhouse effect

The natural process by which greenhouse gases trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere

Enhanced greenhouse effect

The intensification of the greenhouse effect due to human activities

Biodiversity

The variety of life in an ecosystem

Desertification

The process by which fertile land becomes desert

Ecosystem

A community of living organisms interacting with each other and their physical environment.