Factors affecting climate

Which of the following refers to the condition of the atmosphere at any given place and time?

• climate

• precipitation

• temperature

• weather

How do you call the type of weather that a place usually experiences?

• climate

• meteorology

• precipitation

• temperature

There are three basic climate zones in the world namely, tropical zone, temperate zone, and polar zone. Which of the following could be the reason for these climate zones?

• altitude

• earth's shape

• distance from the sun

• tiltation of the eath on its axis

Answer explanation

Climates differ from region to region, mainly because of the earth's shape. Because the earth is shaped like a sphere, the sun's rays strike different parts of its surface at different angles. If you were standing in an equatorial region, the sun would appear directly overhead. Near the polar region, the sun would appear at a lower angle in the sky. The sunlight at both locations contains the same amount of energy; but at the equatorial region, the sunlight is concentrated in a much smaller area. The surface on it therefore is warmer.

Which of the following countries in Africa has a milder climate?

• Angola

• Chad

• Niger

• Uganda

Answer explanation

Angola is near a body of water. The rest are surrounded by landmasses. The air over Angola is more humid, thus there is more precipitation. With more precipitation, vegetation will flourish resulting to a milder climate.

Land features or topography have a large effect on climate. If the moving air over Oregon and Washington from the Pacific Ocean rises over the Cascade Mountains, what will be the characteristic of the air as it reaches the slope on the other side of the Cascade Mountains?

• cold

• dry

• hot

• moist

Answer explanation

Suppose you would like to hang out in a place where you would like to experience colder air in the middle of the night. Which place are you going to choose?

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Answer explanation

Water has high specific heat compared to land. Thus, it takes a longer time for the water to become either warm or cold compared to landmass. The air on a slope of a mountain that is surrounded by a land mass is colder than the air by the beach. The air on a downtown is warmer compared to the air on a mountain due to altitude differences.