Weather, Climate and Ecosystems
What this domain tests
This domain covers weather (short-term atmospheric conditions) and climate (long-term patterns), the processes that produce rainfall and winds, and how ecosystems respond to climate and soils. Exam questions ask for process sequences and for interpretation of climate data.
Core rules and concepts
- Air pressure differences drive winds from high to low pressure; Coriolis deflection makes them curve.
- Relief rainfall occurs when moist air is forced over high ground, cools and condenses; frontal rainfall occurs where warm and cold air meet; convectional rainfall is common in hot afternoons.
- Climate graphs show mean monthly temperature and rainfall; the range is maximum minus minimum, and seasonality is the pattern.
- Ecosystems have producers, consumers, decomposers and nutrient cycles; biomes are controlled by temperature and precipitation.
Worked example
A station has a warmest month of 28 °C and a coolest month of 14 °C, with most rain in winter. Reasoning: annual temperature range is 28 − 14 = 14 °C, so the station is maritime rather than continental; winter rain with mild temperatures suggests a Mediterranean-type climate in the northern hemisphere if the coolest month is January. Name the data used and avoid calling 14 °C the temperature; it is the range.
Traps
Do not mix weather and climate. Do not say rain falls because it is cold; cooling must cause condensation. In climate-graph answers, read both axes and units. Do not claim all tropical rainforests have the same rainfall; seasonality varies.