click below
click below
Normal Size Small Size show me how
chapter 14
Term | Definition |
---|---|
climate | long-term average weather conditions that occur in a particular region |
rain shadow | area of low rainfall on the downwind slope of a mountain |
specific heat | amount of thermal energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kg of a material by 1°C |
microclimate | localized climate that is different than the climate of the larger area surrounding it |
ice age | cold period, lasting hundreds to millions of years, during which glaciers cover much of Earth |
interglacial | warm period that occurs during an ice age |
El Niño/Southern Oscillation | combined ocean and atmospheric cycle that results in weakened trade winds across the Pacific Ocean |
monsoon | wind circulation pattern that changes direction with the seasons |
drought | period with below average precipitation |
global warming | rise in Earth’s average surface temperature during the past 100 years |
greenhouse gas | a gas in the atmosphere that absorbs Earth’s outgoing infrared radiation |
deforestation | large-scale cutting and/or burning of forests |
global climate model | (GCM) set of complex equations used to predict future climates |