Edexcel A Global Atmospheric Circulation

What is climate?

• The average temperature and rainfall over a 30 year period

• The day to day changes in temperature and rainfall

• A political mood

What drives our climate?

• The sun's energy

• The moon's energy

• The wind's energy

• Clouds

The atmosphere is...

• The rocks and soil that make up the earth

• All living plants and animals

• The gases surrounding our earth

• All the water in the oceans, lakes and rivers

Nearly all of our weather happens in the first layer of our atmosphere - the troposphere, what % of our atmospheric water (gas + liquid) is found here?

• 10%

• 50%

• 75%

• 99%

• 100%

The global atmospheric circulation is...

• A local system of winds transferring heat from warmer areas to cooler areas

• A global system of winds, transferring heat from tropical to polar latitudes

• A global system of winds, transferring heat from polar to tropical latitudes

What is latitude?

• Height above sea level

• Imaginary lines going east to west around the earth

• Imaginary lines going north to south around the earth

At which latitude is the earth the warmest?

• The equator (0 degrees)

• 30 degrees north and south of the Equator

• The North and South Poles (90 degrees N/S)

• On top of a mountain

Why is the earth warmest at the equator? Pick 2 reasons

• Because it is nearer to the sun

• Because the suns rays are most concentrated here

• Because the suns rays are more spread out here

• Because the sun is directly overhead, so the rays have a shorter distance of atmosphere to pass through

What happens to warm air at the equator?

• It stays still

• It rises

• It sinks

What happens to the temperature of the air as it rises?

• It stays the same

• It gets warmer

• It gets colder