Earth's Processes

What would happen to the seasons if Earth were tilted 35 degrees off its orbital plane instead of the usual 23.5 degrees and why?

winters and summers would be more severe because a larger tilt increases how directly sunlight hits each hemisphere in its summer and how little sunlight it receives in its winter

What causes seasons on Earth?

the constant tilt of Earth, combined with its orbit around the sun

List 4 factors that influence different global climate patterns and point out which one is the primary cause of the other 3

-variation in the heating of Earth’s surface (primary)

-global ocean currents

-global wind patterns

-precipitation differences between tropical and polar regions

For mountain ranges that are subjected to prevailing winds, why is the climate drier on the leeward (downwind) side?

Pushed by the prevailing winds on the windward side, air is forced to rise, cool, condense, and drop its precipitation, leaving drier air to descend the leeward side.

Subtropical plants are commonplace in Land's End, England, whose latitude is the equivalent of Labrador in coastal Canada, where the local flora is instead subarctic. Why does this apparent anomaly exist between North America and Europe?

Warm ocean currents interact with England, whereas cold ocean currents interact with Labrador

What are generalized global air circulation and precipitation patterns are caused by?

solar radiation that warms moist air masses near the equator, which then cool and release precipitation as they rise, and then, at high altitude, move north or south of the tropics and sink back to the surface as dry air masses

At 30-60°N, air masses formed over the Pacific Ocean are moved by prevailing westerlies, where they encounter extensive north-south mountain ranges. Which statement best describes the outcome of this encounter between a landform and an air mass?

The warm, moist Pacific air rises and cools, releasing precipitation as it moves up the windward side of the range. This now cool and dry air mass heats up as it descends on the leeward side of the range.

Air cools as it moves from the base up the side of a mountain. What is one consequence of this movement of air?

Moisture will drop as rain as the air moves up the side of the mountain.

Why do most deserts occur at approximately 30° latitudes?

cool dry air descends at 30° latitude

Name one contributing factor to high levels of rainfall at the equator?

high levels of solar radiation at the equator

If Earth had no oceans, would temperatures at the equator be hotter or colder than they are now?

Temperatures would be hotter

In western mountain ranges of North America, such as the Sierra Nevadas and the Rockies, where will you find a rain shadow?

the east facing slope

The sun's rays are most concentrated at the equator and least concentrated at the poles. What is the main reason for this difference in solar intensity?

the sun strikes Earth directly near the equator and at an angle near the poles

Measurements show that, on average, Northern Hemisphere temperatures are approximately 2°C warmer than Southern Hemisphere temperatures, and they are also more variable. What factor do scientists think might be responsible for these differences?

the Southern Hemisphere has more ocean, which absorbs more heat without raising the temperature.

Is the circulation of ocean surface currents clockwise or counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere?

clockwise

Is the circulation of ocean surface currents clockwise or counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere?

counterclockwise

describe the difference in the day length at the equator and at the poles as a result of the tilt of Earth's axis

At the equator, day length is relatively unchanged year-round; at the poles, it varies considerably with seasons

On the west coast of South America, moisture-containing wind blowing west from the Pacific Ocean encounters the coastal Andes mountain range. What are the likely climatic conditions on the two sides of the mountains?

The windward side will have a wet climate, but the leeward side will be dry because rain will fall before reaching it.

What process causes El Niño–Southern Oscillation events?

weak prevailing winds in the Southern Hemisphere

At approximately what latitudes are the Ferrell cells located in each hemisphere?

30° to 60°

Which biome is primarily associated with the Ferrell cell's descending air and high-pressure systems?

arid (dry) desserts

Which of the following latitudes corresponds to the typical boundaries of a Hadley cell?

0° to 30° latitude

What is the primary driver of Hadley cell circulation in Earth's atmosphere?

solar heating at the equator

What is the primary factor driving the circulation within polar cells?

Temperature gradients between the poles and the mid-latitudes

What is the primary driver of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) formation?

differential heating of the Earth’s surface