APES Unit 4 Practice

Front

What is La Niña?

Back

La Niña is a climate pattern characterized by cooler-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, often leading to increased precipitation in some regions and drought in others.

Front

What is El Niño?

Back

El Niño is a climate pattern characterized by warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, which can disrupt normal weather patterns globally.

Front

What is the Hadley cell?

Back

The Hadley cell is a tropical atmospheric circulation pattern that occurs between 0 degrees and 30 degrees latitude, where warm air rises at the equator and cools as it moves poleward, creating trade winds.

Front

What is the Coriolis effect?

Back

The Coriolis effect is the deflection of moving objects, such as air and water, caused by the rotation of the Earth, influencing wind and ocean currents.

Front

What is the significance of phytoplankton in ocean ecosystems?

Back

Phytoplankton are microscopic plants that form the base of the marine food web, producing oxygen and serving as a primary food source for many marine organisms.

Front

What are the main factors influencing Earth's climate?

Back

Earth's climate is influenced by the distribution of land masses and oceans, Earth's topography, solar radiation, and atmospheric circulation patterns.

Front

What is the difference between freshwater and saltwater?

Back

Freshwater has a low concentration of dissolved salts (less than 1%), while saltwater, found in oceans, has a high concentration of salts (about 3.5%).

Front

Where is most of Earth's freshwater located?

Back

Most of Earth's freshwater is found in glaciers and ice caps, primarily in Antarctica and Greenland.

Front

What is the role of ocean currents in climate?

Back

Ocean currents help regulate climate by distributing heat around the planet, influencing weather patterns and temperatures in coastal regions.

Front

What is the significance of the polar cell?

Back

The polar cell is a circulation pattern that occurs between 60 degrees latitude and the poles, where cold air sinks and creates high-pressure areas, influencing polar climates.