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12 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Hadley Cell |
The "cycle" of air rising, being laterally transported and falling again |
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What determines Earth's Seasons? |
The inclination of Earth on its axis. The seasons are not the result of the variation in Earth's distance to the sun because of its elliptical orbit |
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When does Earth reach perihelion and aphelion? |
Earth reaches perihelion (when the earth in its orbit is closest to the sun) in January and aphelion (farthest point from the sun) in July |
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What are Jet Streams? |
Jet Streams form at the boundaries of adjacent air masses w/ significant differences in temperature. They are when two major temperatures meet (ex. polar easterlies meeting with the westerlies) |
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What are the 3 consequences of Hadley circulation |
1. Creates major wind systems of the world (trade winds, westerlies, and polar easterlies) 2. Creates differential pressure patterns 3. Creates differential precipitation patterns |
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What is a polar vortex |
A prevailing wind pattern that circles the arctic all the way around the earth |
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Why does the polar vortex weaken? |
Arctic sea ice is melting during summer months and Arctic ocean warms- the general assumption is that reduced snow cover and sea ice reflect less sunlight and therefore evaporation and transpiration increases. The ocean radiates much of that excess heat back to the atmosphere in winter. |
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Tragedy of the Commons |
Economic theory which states that individuals acting independently and rationally according to each's self-interest behave contrary to the best interests of the whole group by depleting some common resource |
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How much of the world's population lives in poverty? |
1 in 4 |
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Earth's Natural Income |
Energy from the sun (solar capital) and on natural resources and natural services (natural capital) provided by the Earth |
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What does it mean to be Living Sustainability |
Living off the earth's natural income w/out depleting or degrading the natural capital that supplies it |
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Ecological Footprint |
The amount of productive land and ocean needed to provide a person w/ food, energy, materials, water, and waste disposal. |