Global Atmospheric Circulation

Why can two places at similar latitudes, such as the Scilly Isles and St. John’s, have different temperatures?

• Ocean currents

• Altitude

• Urban heat

• Rainfall patterns

What ocean current influences the mild temperatures around the Scilly Isles?

• Canary Current

• Gulf Stream

• Labrador Current

• Kuroshio Current

What mainly drives the Gulf Stream ocean current?

• Salinity differences

• Winds

• Earth's rotation

• Tides

How are the Earth's climate, ocean currents, and atmospheric circulation connected?

• They operate independently

• They interact and influence each other

• Only ocean currents affect weather

• Only atmospheric circulation affects oceans

What type of radiation does the Earth absorb from the Sun?

• Long-wave

• Short-wave

• Gamma

• Microwave

The heat we feel on a warm day comes from:

• The Sun directly

• Reflection from clouds

• Long-wave radiation emitted by the Earth's surface

• Air compression

Why is the Equator hotter than the poles?

• More solar radiation per area

• Thinner atmosphere

• Closer to the Moon

What happens to solar energy at the polar ice sheets?

• It is mostly absorbed

• It is reflected back to space

• It warms the air

• It melts the ice immediately

What would happen without winds on Earth?

• The Equator would be very cold

• Heat would not be redistributed

• The poles would get hotter

• Ocean currents would speed up

Why does land heat and cool more quickly than sea?

• Land reflects more sunlight

• Water mixes and stores heat deeper

• Land contains salt

• Sea absorbs no radiation