Climate

Question 0

Latitude

Answer 0

• The distance from the equator north and south measured in degrees
• Latitudes closer to the equator have higher temperatures.

Question 1

Climate

Answer 1

Describes the weather patterns of an area for a long period of time

Question 2

Topography

Answer 2

• The physical features of a region like mountains or lakes

- Representation of the features of a place or region on a map,

Question 3

Global/prevailing Winds

Answer 3

• Prevailing winds are winds that blow primarily in 1 direction
• Prevailing winds that carry cold air masses tend to bring cooler and dryer weather
• Prevailing winds that carry warm air masses tend to bring warm weather

Question 4

Classifying earths climates

Answer 4

The Koeppen Classification system uses temperature and precipitation to divide earths climate into 5 major types.

Question 5

Tropical climates

Answer 5

• high temperatures year round
• Strong sunlight all year b/c they are close to the equator
• Some also recieve high rainfall

Question 6

Dry climates

Answer 6

Most of the worlds deserts are classified as dry climates covers about 30% of earth

Question 7

Deforestation

Answer 7

Cutting down of forests

Question 8

Elliptical

Answer 8

A warmer period of time that alternates with a ice age

Question 9

Leeward

Answer 9

The side of the mountain on which the air has list all it’s moisture

Question 10

Savanna

Answer 10

Land areas made up of tall grasses and scattered trees

Question 11

Steppe

Answer 11

Semi arid region that receives slightly more rainfall than desserts

Question 12

Temperate zones

Answer 12

Zones that lie between 23.5 and 66.5 degrees north or south of the equator

Question 13

Mild climates

Answer 13

Divided into 3 sub-climates

• Humid subtropical
• Marine west coast
• Mediterranean

Question 14

Continental climates

Answer 14

• Generally located within the interior of most continents

- Most of North America has a continental climate

Question 15

Polar climates

Answer 15

• Coldest regions on earth
• Occur at high latitudes in both hemispheres
• Usually contain low levels of precipitation

Question 16

Microclimate

Answer 16

Small area with climate different from the climate of the area around it.

Question 17

Ice ages

Answer 17

Periods when the average temperature was about 5 degrees c lower, and large sheets of ice covered much of our planets surface.

Question 18

Seasons

Answer 18

Short termed periods of climatic change

Question 19

Earths seasons causes

Answer 19

By regular variations in temperature, daylight and weather patterns

Question 20

Earth on its Axis

Answer 20

• This causes different areas of our planet to receive different amounts of solar radiation.
• When the North Pole is tilted toward the sun, the northern hemisphere is warmer (summer)
• When the South Pole is tilted towards he sun, the North Pole is colder, (winter)

Question 21

El niño definition

Answer 21

-A warm ocean current that develops off the western coast of South America.

Question 22

Earths orbit

Answer 22

• Earth follows a elliptical orbit, meaning it moves along an oval, not a circle.
• During periods when earth is closer to the sun, we recieve more solar radiation
• When we are farther from the sun, we recieve less

Question 23

Perihelion

Answer 23

When we are closest to the sun.

Question 24

Aphelion

Answer 24

When we are farthest from the sun.

Question 25

Earths tilt

Answer 25

• responsible for the seasons
• tilts at 23.5 degrees
• the higher of degree of tilt, the more extreme the seasonal changes become

Question 26

The greenhouse effect

Answer 26

• the natural heating of the earth caused by certain gases in the earths atmosphere
• Some of the suns radiation is reflected back into space, some is absorbed by earths surface
• the energy is released onto the atmosphere, and can be trapped by greenhouse gasses

Question 27

Global warming causes

Answer 27

• rising levels of Co2

- increases Co2 means means more heat is trapped, which makes temps rise

Question 28

Human impact on global warming

Answer 28

• Burning of fossil fuel like oil, coal and natural gases.
• large power plants
• they both release Co2in the atmosphere

Question 30

What El Niño causes

Answer 30

• causes the dry northwestern coast to become hot and wet
• a dramatic climate change
• brings violent storms to Cali droughts to Australia.

Question 56

When El Niño occurs

Answer 56

-occurs when the trade winds slow down, or blow backwards.