Physical Geography with Mr. Spencer Your name: ____________________ http://education.davidspencer.ca/geography/physical/climate/ Back to the list of Units Unit Assigned on: Unit Due on:

Homework 1. Your Physical Geography Scrapbook Assignment is due today.

Unit # 5    Topic: Climate and Weather

If you have any questions about this assignment please send a message via e-mail.

Refer to your textbook Chasmer, Ron. Earth Matters: Studies in Physical Geography. Oxford University Press, Don Mills, 2001 ISBN: 0-19-541555-8

Answer the following questions in sentence form in your physical geography notebook. Make sure that you include the important part of the question in your answer.

1. (page 241 - 242) List four (4) advantages of hearing the reports provided by weather forecasters.

2. (page 242) Define the following terms:

a) weather (include the list of atmospheric conditions)
b) climate
c) meteorologist
d) climatologist

3. (page 242) Why did tall trees once grow on the Newfoundland's Northern Peninsula? Explain.

4. (page 243) How does the weather affect a student's typical travel plans for school.

5. (page 243) Provide two climate related reasons why Canadian school buildings cost more to operate.

6. (page 243) Why do many tropical countries start their work day earlier and have a siesta in the afternoon?

7. (page 243 - 244) Summarize the relationship between climate and the following sports: hockey in Canada, football in the U.S.A., golf in Scotland.

8. (page 244) How can storms affect the economy?

9. (page 245) Summarize the four (4) basic variables that influence the climate of a place.

Copy down the heading Insolation
10. (page 245) Why does the temperature get colder as one moves away from the equator? Provide two (2) reasons.

Copy down the heading Elevation
11. (page 245) Provide two reasons why the temperature decreases as the elevation (altitude) increases.

12. (page 245 - 246)
a) What is the environmental lapse rate?
b) Why is the environmental lapse rate not constant in some regions? Explain.

13. (page 246) Why does a temperature inversion sometimes occur in a valley at the base of a mountain? Explain.

14. (page 247) Examine Figure 15.6. Describe the air molecules and air pressure differences at the base and the top of a mountain.

Copy down the heading Moderating Influence of Water Bodies
15. (page 247) Why is Victoria , British Columbia warmer than Ottawa in the winter?

16. (page 443 and 447) Copy down the definitions from the Glossary for the following:

a) continental climate
b) maritime climate

17. (page 247) Why does fog often occur on coastal regions in the summer?

Copy down the heading Ocean Currents
18. (page 251 - 252) Describe the temperature and movement of the North Atlantic Drift, the Gulf Stream, the Labrador Current, the California Current and the East Australia Current.

Copy down the heading Microclimate
19. (page 252 - 253) Define the following terms:

a) microclimate
b) exposure
c) albedo

20. (page 254)
a) Why is it important to know the wind chill before you head out for a winter walk?
b) Provide two ways to figure out the wind chill .

21. (page 254) Describe the microclimates that large cities usually experience.

22. (page 255) Why is the temperature warmer near tall buildings

23. (page 255) List the gases that affect the climate in urban centres.

24. (page 256) Why do tornadoes often skirt around urban areas?

25. Why do urban planners plant gardens and grass on the roofs of tall buildings?

26. Consider the community where you live. Describe what urban planners have designed or planted to reduce the effects of an urban microclimate.

Copy down the heading Local Weather Forecast
During class examine the local weather forecast page from the Toronto Star Newspaper.
27. What is the five day forecast?

28. What is the UV Index?

29. What is the maximum rating allowed for the smog index?

30. Why are there two numbers after each city listed?

31. Describe today's weather for the following:

a) Toronto
b) Thunder Bay, Ontario
c) Vancouver, British Columbia
d) Los Angeles, California
e) Athens, Greece

32. Examine the weather map for North America.

a) Draw the symbols for a warm front.
b) Draw the symbols for a cold front.
c) What does the letter H represent?
d) What does the letter L represent?
e) Explain how H and L air masses move.

Climographs
Refer to the handout "How to Create a Climograph".

33. During class examine the climographs in the atlases provided.
a) On which side of the climograph is temperature data found?
b) On which side of the climograph is precipitation data found?
c) What colour is the temperature line?
d) What colour is the precipitation bar graph?
e) Describe the shape of the temperature line for climographs from the northern hemisphere.
f) Describe the shape of the temperature line for climographs from the southern hemisphere.
g Why do southern hemisphere climographs have this different shape? Explain.

34. Using the climatic data below and the blank climographs provided in class:
a) Draw and label a climograph for each climate station (City).
b) To calculate the temperature range for each climate station take the highest temperature and subtract from the lowest temperature. Remember your math Units. If you have a postive number and you subtract a negative number you need to add both numbers. (example: 25 ^oC - -10 ^oC= 35 ^oC temperature range).
Calculate the temperature range and enter the data for each climate station in the space provided on your climograph.

Station Month-> J F M A M J J A S O N D Chongqing, China T(oC) P(mm) 7 15 10 20 14 38 19 99 23 142 26 180 29 142 30 122 24 150 19 112 14 48 10 20 Georgetown, Guyana T(oC) P(mm) 26 203 26 114 26 175 27 140 27 190 27 302 27 254 27 175 28 81 28 76 27 155 26 287 Baker Lake, Canada T(oC) P(mm) -35 5 -32 5 -25 8 -17 8 -6 5 2 18 9 23 9 28 2 20 -9 13 -19 8 -27 8 Bombay, India T(oC) P(mm) 24 2 24 2 26 2 28 1 29 18 29 485 27 617 27 340 27 264 28 63 27 13 26 2

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