Global Circulation (Hazardous Earth)

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Name the 3 cells in order from the equator up:
Hadley, Ferrell and Polar (see related info cards)
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What is the ITCZ?
Intertropical Convergence Zone and is where two masses of air meet over the equator. It is an area of low pressure bringing rain. The process is detailed on the coherent info card.
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How can you tell what pressure air is at?
Sinking air= High pressure. Rising air= Low pressure.
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What are the natural ways that climate change can be affected? How do they affect the climate?
Asteroid collisions (throws debri in the air, blocking the sun), orbital changes (changing distance from sun), volcanic activity (throws debri in the air, blocking the sun) and variations in solar output (variable power from sun).
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What are sun spots?
Sunspots are darker, cooler areas of the sun where less heat is emitted. They are only temporary.
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How much is the global temperature and sea levels expected to raise? Why is their uncertainty over this?
Seal levels- Around 7 metres. Air- 6C by 2100. There is uncertainty as new technology could be be made that speeds up the process, plus there are so many factors to consider.
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What is the Milankovitch cycle?
This is where the Earth's orbit chages from circular to elipticcal, causing an ice age. The Earth's axis also moves every 24000 years and wobbles every 41000. See info cards.
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What are glacials? Interglacials?
Glacials are cold periods. Intrerglacials are warm periods in betweens the cold periods.
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How can we get information on past climates?
Ice cores- these show all the different layers of ice within its different layers, trapping air. This air can then be tested for its age. Tree rings- The space between each ring shows the conditions that year. Historical sources- Things like diaries.
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What conditions do cyclones need to form?
Strong winds in the troposphere (10-12Km above Earth), a warm ocean area (over 26.5`C) and the coriolis effect.
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Why are there no cyclones over land? At the equator?
Because they need energy from the water and the coriolis effect.
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What is the average air pressure of a cyclone? How does it have an affect?
The average air pressure is 877mb, the average pressure over se is 1013mb. The greater the difference, the more powerful the cyclone.
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What are the different ways of classifying a cyclone?
Meteo-France Forecast Centre's Method (India), Tropical Cyclone Intensity Scale (Australia), Meteorological Agency's Scale (Japan/Western Pacific) and the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale (North Atlantic & North East Pacific Ocean).
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How do cyclones form?
See info cards.
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How do cyclones change direction?
It is based on the direction of Westerlies/Global Wind Circulation.
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What are the different ways in which cyclones can be detected?
Weather forecasting (Effective yet expensive), satellite technology (Quick and accurate but costs $12 millon per year), warning system (lots of volunteers but it's an goverment organistaion reliant on them)and also evacuations(good but lots of coast)
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What is a storm surge?
A storm surge is a rise in sea level that occurs during tropical cyclones. The storms produce strong winds that push the water into shore, which can lead to flooding. They are a big danger to coastal regions.
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What is the temperature, density, composition and physical state of the inner core?
5430`C, 12.8 g/cm, nickel and iron, and solid
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What is the temperature, density, composition and physical state of the outer core?
4400-6100`C, 9.9 g/cm, obsidian and fluid.
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What is the temperature, density, composition and physical state of the lower mantle?
Around 3900`C, 4.4 g/cm, olivine rock, magnesium and iron and its solid.
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What is the temperature, density, composition and physical state of the upper mantle?
500-900`C, 3.4g/cm, magnesium and iron rocks and it is solid
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What is the temperature, density, composition and physical state of the asthenosphere?
1300`C, 2.6 g/cm, and liquid
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What is the temperature, density, composition and physical state of the lithosphere?
300-500`C, 2.9 g/cm, rock and solid.
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What is a conservative plate boundary?
This occurs where plates slide past each other in opposite or the same directions, but at different speeds. The plates slip past in each other in a sudden movement causing an earthquake when fricion is eventually overcome.
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What is a convergent plate boundary?
Where the oceanic plate dives benath the continental plate. It forms very destructive volcanoes and tsunamis.
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What is a divergent plate boundary?
Where two plates pull apart causing hot magma to be thrown up from the Earth causing new land to be formed.
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What is the distribution of volcanoes? Different plate boundaries?
See info cards.
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What are the three different types of volcano?
Active, dormant and extinct.
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What are the two forms of volcano?
Composite- pyroclastic flow, violent eruptions, steep sides, destructive plate boundary. Shield- Low, gentle slope, basic lave, frequent, gentle eruptions, found at constructive plate boundary.
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What actually is a volcano?
The point where magma breaks throught the Earth's surface.
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What is basic lava?
Low silca content, take slonger to cool so flows long distances.
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What is acidic lava?
High silica content, travels only short distances before cooling and high viscosity (the state of being thick, sticky, and semi-fluid in consistency, due to internal friction).
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Where do hotpots mainly occur?
Where magam pushes its way through the crust in the middle of a tectonic plate.
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

What is the ITCZ?

Back

Intertropical Convergence Zone and is where two masses of air meet over the equator. It is an area of low pressure bringing rain. The process is detailed on the coherent info card.

Card 3

Front

How can you tell what pressure air is at?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

What are the natural ways that climate change can be affected? How do they affect the climate?

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

What are sun spots?

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
View more cards

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