Weather and climate Y8 summer exams

What is weather?

Weather is the conditions in the lower atmosphere on a day to day basis in a local area

What is climate?

The average rainfall and temperature in a place over a long period of time in a very large area

How does latitude affect the climate?

Latitude is the distance north/south of the equator -measured in degrees. Areas closer to the equator are hot because the sun is directly overhead during the day. Away from the equator the sun hits a lower angle meaning they get less heat. The angle of the sun changes with the time of year this is why summer is warmer than winter

How does altitude effect the climate?

Altitude is the height above sea level. The higher you go in the atmosphere the colder it gets due to a decrease in air pressure. Temperature falls 1 degree every 150 m in height.

How does prevailing wind affect the climate?

Prevailing wind is the most common wind direction, south west in the UK. North winds bring cold air (British Ailes). south winds bring warm air and west winds bring moist air.

How does Ocean currents affect the climate?

An ocean current is a movement of water in a fixed direction. North Atlantic drift raises the temperature in the west.

How does the distance from the sea affect the climate?

The sea keeps coastal places warm (winter) but cools them down in summer.

What does tropical mean in air mass?

A warm air as it comes from near the equator, also humid

What does polar air mass mean?

A very cold air, and could also bring snow in the winter as it comes from the arctic

What does continental air mass mean?

A dry climate as it comes from large areas of land

What does maritime air mass mean?

A wet climate as it comes from the sea

What is an air mass?

An air mass are winds hat influence us. They are large bodies of air that all have similar levels of moisture and temperature

How does ground surface affect a microclimate?

Dark surfaces such as tarmac warm up faster and give off more heat than light natural surfaces like grass

How do walls, building and trees affect the climate?

They provide shelter from wind and also places that are sheltered may feel warmer and get less rain

How does aspect affect the climate?

aspect is the direction in which a place faces. Places that face the sun are warmer than those in shadow. In the UK places with south facing aspect get more sun and higher

How can buildings affect the climate?

They can change the wind direction and speed. On warm sunny days building absorb heat and give it off later

What is a microclimate?

The small scale climate of a very local area

What is a climate graph?

Shows the average rainfall and temperature, each month over a year. The temperature is shown on a line graph and rainfall on a bar chart.