(i) Name one hot climate. (ii) Name one temperate climate. (iii) Name one cold climate.
2. Factors affecting climate include: • Latitude • Distance from the sea • Prevailing winds and air masses
• Altitude • Aspect
Select any three of these factors and explain how each one affects climate. 3. Discuss one cause and one implication of climate change.
Sample Answers
1. (i) Hot desert climate (ii) Cool temperate oceanic climate (iii) Tundra climate
2. Aspect: Aspect is the direction a slope faces in relation to the sun. South-facing slopes in the northern hemisphere face the sun and are warmer than north-facing slopes that tend to be in the shade. Altitude: Altitude is height above sea level. The higher a place is above sea level, the colder it is. This is because the air is thinner in high altitudes and holds less heat. The temperature drops by about 1 ˚C for every 100 m increase in altitude. Latitude: Latitude is the angular distance of a place north or south of the equator. Areas closer to the equator are warmer than areas further from it. The equator is where the sun’s energy is greatest. Because the sun is closest to the Earth here, its rays shine directly upon it and are concentrated on a smaller area. The further you travel from the equator, the cooler it gets because the sun’s rays have a longer distance to travel and become slanted. As the heat is spread over a wider area, it is cooler and less intense.
3. Burning fossil fuels causes climate change. Gases such as carbon dioxide enter the atmosphere. These gases trap the heat from the sun like a blanket. As we increase the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere we increase the amount of heat trapped by them and so the temperature rises.
One consequence of climate change is rising sea levels. This will happen because ice caps and glaciers are melting as the global temperature rises. This will threaten low-lying areas and the people who live and farm there because they will be below the new sea level.
267
Climates: Classifying climate types and Ireland’s climate Questions & Answers
