Physical Geography - Book Report/Review Example

1. People are confused by what causes the four seasons. Find the answers to these questions. a. What are two major reasons for the seasons? The two major causes of the seasons are rotation which is the tilt of the earth on its own axis and the revolution of the earth which is the movement of the earth on its own orbit. b. Explain the difference between the Earth’s rotation and Earth’s revolution phases. The difference between the rotation of the earth and the revolution of the earth is that during the rotation the earth tilts on its own axis and it takes 28 days while during revolution, the earth moves on its own orbit and the process takes 365 ¼ days. c. What is the sun’s location in relation to earth during summer and winter? During summer the sun is located at the perihelion which is its closest point in relation to the earth while during winter, the sun is located at the aphelion which is the closest point in relation to the earth. d. When is the shortest amount of daylight in the Northern Hemisphere? What do we call this day? Where does the Sun rise and set on this day? The shortest amount of daylight in the Northern Hemisphere is the December solstice. It occurs on December 21, 22 or 23 and it is called the Winter Solstice. During this day, the sun rises from the south and sets in the north. e. When is the longest amount of daylight in the Northern Hemisphere? What do we call this day? Where does the Sun rise and set on this day? The longest amount of daylight in the Northern Hemisphere is the June solstice. In the northern hemisphere, it is called the summer solstice and occurs between June 20 and 22. The sun rises from the north east and sets in the south west. f. What do we call the days when the daylight is equal to amount of darkness? Where does the Sun rise and set on this day? The days when the daylight is equal to amount of darkness are called the autumnal equinox. During the autumnal equinox, the sun rises from the east and sets in the west. g. At what times will be the sunrise and sunset on the first day of spring and then on the first day of summer? On the first day of spring the sun will rise seven minutes before 6:00 AM and sets one minute after 6:00 PM. On the first day of summer, the sun rises at 6:03 AM and sets at 6:00 PM. h. What did you learn from your research? From the research, I had a deeper understanding of the effect of the movement of the sun and the earth and their effect. I also learned that the main reasons why we have the four seasons, is due to the changes in position of the earth on its own axis and on its own orbit. 2. Living in Cleveland you often hear the term “lake effect “especially in late fall. a. What are “lake effect clouds? Lake effect clouds are formed when cold air moves across lakes that are warmer. The lake transfers water vapor to the cold air mass forming lake effect clouds. b. What is the difference between lake effect snow and a snow storm? The difference between lake effect snow and a snow storm is that the lake effect snow storms are not low pressure system storms and can last up to 48 hours depositing snow in a lake while a snow storm is a low pressure system storm and last a few hours up to 3 days. c. What is meant by the primary and secondary snow belts of the greater Cleveland area? Primary Snow Belt areas where the snow results when very cold winds from the west, northwest or north blow across the unfrozen lake. The counties of Lake, Geauga, Cuyahoga and Ashtabula fall within the primary Snow Belt. The secondary Snow belts are areas in the Northern Ohio where snow forms mainly when winds are directly from the north. Some of the areas within this belt include; Lorain, Medina, Summit, Portage and Trumball. d. Why is there a difference in the amount of lake effect snow that falls throughout the greater Cleveland area? The reason why there is a difference in the amount of lake effect snow that falls throughout the greater Cleveland area is due to the closeness of the different areas to Lake Erie which is the primary cause of lake snow effect in the Cleveland. Areas close to Lake Erie experience heavy lake effect snow while regions far away from the lake experience low lake effect snow. e. What is the difference between lake effect and what is called an “Alberta Clipper”? The lake effect produces snow when cold air moves across the Great Lakes and picks up extra moisture and warmth from the warmer lakes. The process can be slowed down if the lakes freeze. Alberta Clipper is fast moving storms that normally drop down from the North West across the Great lakes from Central Canada and produce snowfall that is evenly distributed. They tend to form less snow. f. What is the difference between lake effect and lake enhanced snow? The lake effect produces snow when cold air moves across the Great Lakes and picks up extra moisture and warmth from the warmer lakes. The process can be slowed down if the lakes freeze. Lake enhanced snow is the additional precipitation that results from a boundary layer fetches that occurs over a lake during a cyclone. 3. How do thunderstorms form? What types of clouds are usually present before and during a thunderstorm? What causes thunder? Thunderstorms are formed when warm air rises up because of its low density as compared to the surrounding air. The air transfers heat from the land surface to the upper atmospheric levels by convection. The air continues rising causing instability and this result into a thunderstorm. Before a thunderstorm, the cumulus clouds are present and during a thunderstorm, cumulonimbus clouds are formed. Thunder is caused by moisture, unstable air and lift. b. What is lightning? Can you have lightning without thunder? Please be specific. When can lightning be life threatening? Lightning can be defined as a bright flash of electricity that is produced by a thunderstorm. It is not possible to have lightning without thunder. This is because thunder results from lightning. Lightning be life threatening when it has a very high charge. c. What are the safety procedures you should follow when thunder and lightning are present? Compare the information that is in your book on lightning to the information posted at Which do you feel is more helpful in your understanding of lightning? What did you learn that you did not know before? The safety procedures that should be followed when lightning is present are: a) Get inside a building, a home or an all metal vehicle. b) Avoid using telephones inside the house unless it is an emergency. c) If in an open area, try to reach a building as soon as possible. d) Never stand under a tree, natural lighting rod or moving water. e) Stay away from wire fences; clothe lines, rails and metallic pipes. f) Never stand in isolated sheds or open areas. g) In a forest, look for shelter in areas that are low under thick growths of trees. h) If you are in an isolated area and you feel your hair stand on end giving an indication that lightning is about to strike, drop to your knees and bend forward with your hands on your knees. A comparison of the information present in our books to that posted at the given web link indicates that there web link gives a better insight into the understanding of the lightning. I have learned more precautions that ought to be taken in case of a lightning. 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