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WorksheetsEl Nino and La Nina and Atmospheric and Ocean Circulation
Total questions: 66
Worksheet time: 46mins
Which of the following is this image?
El Nino Southern Oscillation
La Nina
Which of the following is this image?
El Nino Southern Oscillation
La Nina
El Nino has a ____ wind direction.
low
westerly
easterly
high
La Nina has a ____ wind direction.
high
low
easterly
westerly
During El Nino, the high pressure system is over ____.
Australia
South America
The ocean
During La Nina, the high pressure system is over ____.
Australia
South America
The ocean
There is weak upwelling on the South American coast during El Nino.
True
False
It is cooler in Australia during La Nina.
True
False
Which of the following are true for El Nino?
El Nino develops in summer.
America has a higher rainfall in El Nino
Low pressure = upward moving rain
Australia has hot, dry conditions during El Nino.
During La Nina, Africa is in drought conditions which means hotter days and cooler nights.
True
False
What is this diagram showing?
Coriolis Effect
Convection in the atmosphere
The Walker Circulation
How does convection in the atmosphere work?
Warm air rises, creating low pressure zones.
Clouds form as the warm air rises and cools.
Cool air descends, forming high pressure zones.
This creates a convection cell in the atmosphere.
The atmosphere circulates due to thermal convection and influences weather patterns.
Convection in the atmosphere
The Walker Circulation
Coriolis Effect
Which of the following are processes in the Walker Circulation?
The ocean influences the atmosphere by providing heat and moisture. ->
This gives rise to the walker circulation. ->
The atmosphere circulates due to thermal convection and influences weather patterns. ->
This creates a convection cell in the atmosphere. ->
Coriolis Effect: Instead of circulating in a straight pattern, the deflects towards the ____ in the northern hemisphere and the ____ in the southern hemisphere.
Left, right
Right, left
South, North
North, South
If the Earth did not (a) , the atmosphere would circulate between the poles (high pressure) and the Equator (low pressure).
If the Earth did not rotate, the atmosphere would circulate between the poles (high pressure) and the Equator (low pressure). But because the Earth rotates, circulating air is deflected. This means air moves in curved paths.
Coriolis Effect
The Walker Circulation
Convection in the Atmosphere
What atmospheric circulation is shown in the image?
The Walker Circulation
Convection in the Atmosphere
Coriolis Effect
Driven by cooling:
Polar cell
Hadley cell
Ferrel cell
Driven by heating:
Polar cell
Hadley cell
Ferrel cell
Driven by other cells:
Polar cell
Hadley cell
Ferrel cell
Hot, dry summers:
sub tropical high
polar front
Cool, wet winter:
sub tropical high
polar front
____ ____ are large, circular currents that form in the surface of the ocean.
(a)
Ocean gyres are driven by the prevailing winds and therefore more ____ in the southern hemisphere and ____ in the northern hemisphere.
left, right
clockwise,
anticlockwise
anticlockwise, clockwise
right, left
The surface of the ocean is (a) than the deep oceans, which are very cold - average temperature of 4.C.
Why is the surface temperature warmer than the deep oceans?
The surface oceans are heated by the sun.
The surface of the ocean is warmed by warm-blooded organisms
Lower salinity makes the water warmer.
The (a) is the name for the transition from warm surface waters to cold deep waters.
Which of the following are reasons for cold oceans?
In the Arctic and Antarctic, the surface of the ocean can freeze, forming sea ice.
When water freezes, it leaves behind some salt. This creates some residual, very cold, very salty water.
The cold salty water is very dense, and sinks to the bottom of the ocean.
Salty, cold deep water formed at the poles stays floating at the top of the ocean.
True
False
What causes less dense surface water to form?
Rainwater
Run-off
Heating at the surface
Nothing grows in the deep oceans due to the lack of (a) .
As organisms living in the surface of the ocean die, they sink into the ocean, taking (a) with them.
At the bottom of the ocean, volcanic vents add (a) nutrients to sea water.
The deep oceans are very (a) rich.
Upwelling deep water:
Is driven by surface winds
Changes the position of the thermocline
Does not change the position of the thermocline
Is driven by currents
Upwelling oceans = (a) productivity
When deep water upwells, nutrients are brought to the ____ ____ and algal blooms generate hugely productive ecosystems.
(a)
Trade winds blow east to west (Easterly) across the Pacific.
When this is stronger, we have a La Nina event.
When this is weaker, we have a La Nina event.
When this is stronger, we have an El Nino event.
When this is weaker, we have an El Nino event.
If the Southern Oscillation Index is negative, it is:
El Nino
La Nina
If the Southern Oscillation Index is positive it is:
El Nino
La Nina
Pacific Temperature Anomaly - if it is a higher than average temperature it is:
El Nino
La Nina
Pacific Temperature Anomaly - if it is a lower than average temperature it is:
El Nino
La Nina
Southern Oscillation Index:
El Nino = negative
El Nino = positive
La Nina = negative
La Nina = positive
Pacific Ocean Temperature Anomaly:
El Nino = negative
El Nino = positive
La Nina = negative
La Nina = positive
Easterly trade winds:
La Nina = reversed (westerly)
La Nina = strengthened
El Nino = reversed (westerly)
El Nino = strengthened
Rainfall in Australia:
El Nino = higher
El Nino = lower
La Nina = higher
La Nina = lower
Natural hazard risk:
La Nina = greater risk of floods, lower risk of drought and fire
La Nina = less risk of floods, greater risk of fire and drought
El Nino = greater risk of floods, lower risk of drought and fire
El Nino = less risk of floods, greater risk of fire and drought
Fisheries in South America:
La Nina = booming due to greater deep water nutrient upwelling.
La Nina = suppressed due to lower deep water nutrient upwelling.
El Nino = booming due to greater deep water nutrient upwelling.
El Nino = suppressed due to lower deep water nutrient upwelling.
Differences in air pressure form the basis for (a) of the atmosphere.
Air pressure depends on the ____ and ____ of the air in addition to the ____.
altitude, density, composition
density, composition, temperature
altitude, temperature, composition
density, temperature, altitude
____ ____ can be measured with a barometer.
(a)
Winds are produced by (a) differences between two locations.
____ direction is the direction that the ____ is coming from - not the direction it is moving towards.
(a)
Driving forces of wind: compresses the atmosphere
Friction force
Pressure gradient force
Gravitational force
Coriolis force
Driving forces of wind: air moves from high pressure (more compressed) to low pressure (less compressed)
Gravitational force
Pressure gradient force
Friction force
Coriolis effect
Driving forces of wind: air in motion appears to be deflected as Earth spins west to east
Coriolis force
Friction force
Gravitational force
Friction force
Driving forces of wind: drag against the Earth's surface slows the wind; slows surface winds the most, high level winds the least
Pressure gradient force
Coriolis force
Friction force
Gravitational force
Air pressure differences are the result of (a) heating of the atmosphere. In some areas, stronger heating leads to expansion of air, making it less dense - fewer molecules and less weight per cubic metre of air.
Cold, dense, sinking air is associated with (a) pressure.
Hot, rising air is associated with (a) pressure.
Since wind, or moving air, is caused by ____ differences, the greater the ____ gradient the stronger the wind.
(a)
Low pressure systems in La Nina:
Draws in warm water, via surface currents driven by Easterly trade winds.
Moist, warm air rises and forms clouds at low pressure zone over Australia.
Increased rainfall because of the increased cloud cover over Australia.
More upwelling of cold deep water in the East Pacific.
Where is the low pressure system during La Nina?
Over Australia
Over the ocean
Over South America
Where is the low pressure system during El Nino?
Over Australia
Over the ocean
Over South America
High pressure systems in El Nino:
High pressure system is over Australia.
Dry air descends causing cloudless clear days
Higher average temperatures and lower rainfall.
Trade winds blow Westerly from Australia and move warm water away from Australia
