BIOB50H3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Hadley Cell, Subsidence, Atmospheric Pressure
7 Oct 2015
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Ultimate determinant of: where organisms can live, the resources that are available to them, the rate at which their populations can grow, very different in different places (lots of variety, affects distribution of organism, precipitation (tree line) What is the physical environment : climate: long term description of weather based on averages and variation measured over decades; includes daily and seasonal cycles as well as yearly and decadal cycle. X: chemical environment: the composition of soil, water and air available in the environment. *weather: current conditions temperature precipitation, humidity, cloud cover. Climate is driven by exposure to solar radiation. The earth is not straight up and down and spins at a tilt. The equator is offset, and the most direct sun is from the equator. As they hit the poles, they hit at an angle and there is less direct radiation. Because of the longer path, the sun"s energy is slower and has a colder wavelength and have less energy.
