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Climate-Chapter 2
Climate and Climate Zones
Term | Definition |
---|---|
weather | unpredictable changes in the air that take place over a short period of time |
monsoon | seasonal wind that blows over a continent for months at a time |
hurricane | violent tropical storm with high winds and heavy rains |
local wind | pattern of wind caused by landforms in a particular area |
climate | usual, predictable pattern of weather in an area over a long preriod of time |
tornado | funnel-shaped windstorm that sometimes forms during a severe thunderstorm |
El Nino | Combination of temperature, wind , and water effects in the Pacific Ocean that causes heavy rains in some areas and drought in others |
greenhouse effect | bulidup of certain gases in the atmosphere that, like a greenhouse, hold more of the sun's warmth |
canopy | umbrella-like covering formed by the tops of trees in a rain forest |
permafrost | permanently frozen lower layers of soil in the tundra and subarctic regions |
timberline | elevation along mountains above which no trees grow |
savanna | broad grassland in the tropics with few trees; hot year-round; has a rainy season and a dry season; in the Tropics |
tropical rainforest | dense forest that receives high amounts of rain each year; hot year-round; in the Tropics |
marine west coast climate | rainy and mild winters and cool summers; in the Mid-Latitudes |
Mediterranean Climate | mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; in the Mid-Latitudes |
humid continental | long, cold and snowy winters and short, hot summers; in the Mid -Latitudes |
humid subtropical | hot, humid, rainy summers and short, mild winters; in the Mid-Latitudes |
tundra | vast rolling plain without trees; lower layers of soil are permafrost; sturdy grasses and low-growing berry bushes; in the high latitudes |
Subarctic | Severely cold and bitter winters; temperatures do rise above freezing in the summer; evergreen Taiga forests; in the high latitudes |
Ice Cap | great sheets of ice and bitterly cold; monthly temperatures average below freezing; only lichen grows here; in the high latitudes |
desert | less than 10 inches of rain per year; cacti or small areas of thick plant life; a dry climate |
steppe | treeless plain; partly dry grasslands and prairies; 10-20 inches of rain per year; bushes and short grasses; a dry climate |
highland | Mountains; highest mountains have very cold climates (even at the equator); has a timberline |