APES Unit 4 Review

Front

What is albedo?

Back

Albedo is the measure of the reflectivity of a surface, expressed as a percentage. Surfaces with high albedo, like snow, reflect most of the sunlight, while darker surfaces absorb more heat.

Front

Which surface has the highest albedo?

Back

Snow has the highest albedo among common surfaces, reflecting about 80-90% of sunlight.

Front

What is a watershed?

Back

A watershed is an area of land that drains all the streams and rainfall to a common outlet, such as a river, lake, or ocean.

Front

What are atmospheric convection currents?

Back

Atmospheric convection currents are large-scale movements of air caused by the uneven heating of the Earth's surface, leading to the formation of wind patterns.

Front

What are Hadley cells?

Back

Hadley cells are large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns that occur between the equator and about 30 degrees latitude, where warm air rises and cool air sinks.

Front

What is the Coriolis effect?

Back

The Coriolis effect is the deflection of moving objects, such as air currents, due to the rotation of the Earth, causing them to turn to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere.

Front

What is upwelling in oceanography?

Back

Upwelling is the process where deep, cold, nutrient-rich water rises to the surface, often leading to high productivity in marine ecosystems.

Front

What are gyres?

Back

Gyres are large systems of circulating ocean currents, primarily driven by the wind, that help distribute heat and nutrients across the oceans.

Front

What are westerlies?

Back

Westerlies are prevailing winds that blow from the west to the east in the mid-latitudes, influencing weather patterns and ocean currents.

Front

What is the role of polar cells in atmospheric circulation?

Back

Polar cells are atmospheric circulation patterns that occur at the poles, where cold air sinks and flows towards the equator, contributing to global wind patterns.