Download S1 Weather Glossary

S1 Weather and Climate Notes
Weather and Climate
Climate: the average weather conditions for an area
Weather: the state of the atmosphere at any given time
Factors Affecting Climate
Altitude: temperature will decrease with increasing height. For every 100
metres climbed, temperature will drop by 0.6° C.
Aspect: this is the direction a slope faces. A south facing slope will be
warmer than a slope facing north. In the northern hemisphere, a south
facing slope faces towards the sun.
Distance from the Sea: sea breezes cool the land down in summer and
warm it up in winter. Coastal areas tend to have slightly cooler summers
and slightly warmer winters. In land areas are the opposite.
Latitude: Latitude is the distance an area is from the equator ( 0°
latitude.) The closer an area is to the equator, the warmer it is. As you
move further away from the equator, it becomes cooler.
Ocean Currents: cold ocean currents cool the sea and coastal area and
warm ocean currents warm the sea and coastal areas. The Gulf Stream
bathes Western Scotland with warmer water – palm trees grow on some
of Scotland’s coastal towns e.g Plockton and Largs.
Rainshadow: the west coast of Scotland receives more precipitation than
the east coast. Moist air is carried by the SW prevailing winds and
causes rain to fall on the west coast. The air is forced to rise over the
mountains where it cools and produces more rain. The air then warmed as
it descends in the east coast. Warmer air produces less rainfall
Climate graphs
Temperature: drawn as a line graph
Precipitation: this includes all forms of moisture that fall (rain, snow,
sleet and hail). Precipitation is always drawn as a drawn as a bar graph.
Temperature range: the difference between the highest and lowest
temperature of the year
Annual rainfall: add all the rainfall readings for every month of the year
together. This gives you the total amount of rain that has fallen over the
year.
World Climatic Patterns
Brasilia: found at 16°S of equator and at approximately 1000m asl. It has
warm temperatures all year round, low temperature range and high annual
rainfall.
La Paz: found at 16°S of the equator and at approximately 3800 m asl.
La Paz has average monthly temperatures of about 10°C with a very low
temperature range. Precipitation is less than Brasilia. It has lower
temperatures because it is found at a higher altitude.
Himalayas: climate very cold and treacherous. Mountains affect weather
in surrounding areas
Gobi Desert: found in NW China and Mongolia. Very dry as a result of Mt
Everest. It is a rainshadow desert. The Gobi Desert is a cold desert.
Bangladesh: experiences floods as a result of snow melt from the
Himalayas
Weather Elements and Instruments
Anemometer – measures wind speed in knots/kmph/mph/beaufort scale.
Anemometers are located in a high position so that accurate wind speed
readings are recorded.
Cloud Cover – measured by the eye. Sky is divided into eighths and the
unit of measurement is oktas.
Rain Gauge – measures the precipitation in mm. It is partially buried in
the ground to prevent it being knocked over.
Stevenson Screen – houses the max and min thermometers and the wet
and dry bulb thermometers. It is painted white to reflect the sun, has a
sloping roof, slatted sides to allow air to circulate, 1 m above the ground
and made of wood (poor conductor of heat).
Sunshine recorder – can also be called a heliograph. Records the hours of
sunshine in one day
Thermometers – the maximum thermometer measures the highest
temperature of the day and contains mercury. The minimum
thermometer contains alcohol and record the lowest temperature of the
day. The unit of measurement is °C
Wind Vane – measures the direction of the wind in compass points. A
northerly wind blows from the north and brings colder temperatures. A
southerly wind blows form the south and brings warmer temperatures.
Prevailing Wind: the wind that blows most often. In the UK this comes
from the SW.
Pressure Systems
Isobar: a line that joins areas of equal air pressure
Synoptic Chart: a map that shows isobars and fronts
Cold front: shown as triangles on a synoptic chart, this marks the head of
warm air. Heavy rain will fall along a cold front
Warm front: shown as semi-circles on a synoptic chart, this marks the
head of warm air. Prolonged rain will fall along a warm front
Low pressure: isobars tend to be close together and fronts will be found.
It brings changeable weather and wind blow in an anticlockwise direction
High pressure: isobars tend to be far apart and no fronts are found. It
brings settled, dry, calm weather that can last for a few days. Winds
blow in a clockwise direction.
Weather Symbols and Forecasting
Weather Forecasting: weather data is collected by satellites, radar,
radiosonde balloons, aircraft and weather ships. The data is sent to the
Met Office where it is analysed and synoptic charts are drawn.
BBC Weather Symbols: all elements are represented by a weather
symbol
Weather and People: weather can affect people in many ways e,g snow can
affect travel, cause school and busineses to close, cut-off remote
settlements, increase accident and casualty figures, increase profits for
energy providers and see an increase in sales of sledges and warm
clothing.