The climate figure shows monthly temperature and precipitation recorded at an urban weather station in northern China during 2020. City planners used the da...
Question 1 Report
The climate figure shows monthly temperature and precipitation recorded at an urban weather station in northern China during 2020. City planners used the data when considering water demand, street-tree planting and summer electricity consumption for air conditioning. Bars show precipitation and the line shows mean temperature. The figure is based on one year only, so it cannot by itself prove a long-term global climate pattern. However, it can be used to describe seasonal conditions and to suggest when residents may place greatest pressure on water supplies.
(a) Identify the month with the highest mean temperature. [1]
(b) Identify the approximate mean temperature range shown by the figure. [2]
(c) Identify the month with the greatest precipitation. [1]
(d) Identify the precipitation total for June, July and August. Show your working. [3]
(e) Identify two ways in which this seasonal pattern could affect urban water consumption or energy use in the city. [4]
(f) Identify one reason why data from 2020 should be compared with data from other years. [1]
Answer Details
(a) The highest mean temperature occurs in July. [1]
(b) The highest temperature is about \(28\,^{\circ}\mathrm{C}\) in July and the lowest is about \(4\,^{\circ}\mathrm{C}\) in January. Therefore:
\[28-4=24\,^{\circ}\mathrm{C}\]
The approximate annual temperature range is 24 °C. [2]
(c) The greatest precipitation is in July, at about 110 mm. [1]
(d) Summer precipitation is:
\[95\text{ mm}+110\text{ mm}+100\text{ mm}=305\text{ mm}\]
The June, July and August total is 305 mm. [3]
(e) Two developed effects are:
- Hot summer temperatures increase use of air conditioning, so electricity demand rises. Heat may also increase demand for water, drinks and irrigation.
- Higher summer rainfall can replenish water stores, but heavy rainfall can overload urban drainage and increase flood risk.
[4]
(f) Data from 2020 should be compared with other years because one year may be unusual. Longer-term averages are more reliable for identifying climate patterns rather than annual variation. [1]
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