Weather and Climate Flashcards

Flashcards to review key concepts about weather and climate.

What is the difference between weather and climate?

Weather is the short-term state of the atmosphere, while climate is the long-term pattern of weather in a specific place.

Name some parameters to describe weather.

Temperature, precipitation (snow, rain, and hail), wind speed and direction, visibility, and cloud amounts.

What factors influence climate?

Slow changes in the ocean, the land, the orbit of the Earth about the sun, and the energy output of the sun.

What are the five major elements of weather and climate?

Temperature, precipitation, air pressure, sunshine, and wind.

What instrument measures temperature?

Thermometer

What instrument measures precipitation?

Rain gauge

What instrument measures wind speed?

Anemometer

What instrument measures wind direction?

Wind vane

How are wind direction measured?

Compass direction

Name the main climate zones.

Tropical, Arid, Temperate, Mediterranean, Polar, and Mountain.

What are the variations in British Isles temperature and rainfall due to?

Latitude, Altitude, Distance from the sea, Prevailing wind, The Jet stream, and the North Atlantic Drift.

Name 4 part of the water cycle

evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection.

Name the three types of rainfall.

Relief, Convectional, and Frontal.

How is relief rain formed?

When air is forced to cool as it rises over relief features (hills or mountains).

How is convectional rain formed?

Energy from the sun heats the ground, causing warm, moist air to rise rapidly, then cools, condenses and forms clouds.

How is Frontal rain formed?

When warm, moist air meets colder, more dense air at fronts, causing the warm air to rise, cool, condense, and form clouds.

Define Microclimate

The local climate of a small area that differs from the surrounding areas.

Name factors that can cause microclimates.

Shelter, surface, aspect, buildings and natural physical features