What's covered
Key facts
Altitude affects climate: temperature drops as elevation rises (about 6.5°C per kilometre on average).
The Gulf Stream and its North Atlantic Drift extension keep the UK warmer in winter than other countries at the same latitude.
Wind speed is measured using an anemometer.
Biomes are large ecological zones determined mainly by temperature and precipitation patterns.
The UK has mild winters compared with other locations at the same latitude because of the warm North Atlantic Drift current.
Air pressure is measured using a barometer.
Climate zones depend mainly on latitude — the distance from the equator.
The North Atlantic Drift brings warm water from the Gulf of Mexico to the west coast of the UK, moderating its winter climate.
Climate is typically calculated using at least 30 years of averaged weather data to identify a statistically meaningful average.
The Mediterranean climate zone has hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters, and is found around the Mediterranean Sea (plus parts of California, Chile, the Cape, and SW Australia).
Sample questions
A taste of the 34 questions in this topic — answers marked. Sign up to practise the full set with spaced repetition.
Why do areas near the equator have a tropical climate?
- •Ocean currents carry warm water to equatorial regions keeping temperatures high
- •The equator is at the lowest elevation on Earth, which increases temperature
- ✓The Sun is nearly overhead year-round, providing intense direct heat
- •They are closest to the Sun in terms of orbital distance
Why is the west of the UK generally wetter than the east?
- •Eastern UK has more impermeable rock that absorbs rainfall before runoff
- •Ocean currents carry warm dry air to the eastern coast
- •The east is warmer, so moisture evaporates before falling as rain
- ✓Westerly Atlantic winds rise over western hills, cool, and deposit relief rainfall
What is the difference between weather and climate?
- •Climate changes hourly; weather is measured over decades.
- •Weather describes long-term patterns; climate describes daily conditions.
- ✓Weather is day-to-day atmospheric conditions; climate is the long-term average
- •Weather only applies to temperature; climate includes rainfall and wind.
Which climate zone is found around the equator?
- •Arctic
- •Mediterranean
- •Polar
- ✓Tropical
What type of rainfall is caused by air being forced to rise over mountains?
- •convectional rainfall
- •cyclonic rainfall
- •frontal rainfall
- ✓relief rainfall
What instrument measures rainfall?
- •A barometer
- •A hygrometer
- ✓A rain gauge
- •An anemometer
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