Question | Answer |
weather | unpredictable changes in air that take place over a short period of time |
climate | usual, predictable patterns of weather |
tropics | low latitudes region between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn; near the equator |
drought | long period of extreme dryness |
El Nino | combination of temperature, wind, and water effects in the Pacific Ocean that causes heavy rains in some areas and drought in others |
La Nina | pattern of unusual weather in the Pacific Ocean that has the opposite effects of El Nino |
current | moving streams of water in the world's oceans |
local wind | pattern of wind caused by landforms in a particular area |
rain shadow | dry area on the inland side of coastal mountains |
greenhouse effect | buildup of certain gases in the atmosphere that, like a greenhouse, hold more of the sun's warmth |
rain forest | dense forest that receives high amounts of rain each year |
water vapor | water in the form of gas |
water cycle | process in which water goes from oceans, to air, to ground, and back to oceans |
evaporation | sun's heat turns liquid water into water vapor |
condensation | when water vapor changes back into a liquid |
precipitation | the form in which water falls back to earth |
collection | when streams and rivers carry water back to the ocean |
groundwater | water that fills tiny holes and cracks in the rock layers beneath the earth |
aquifer | underground rock layers that water flows through |
elevation | height above seal level |
plain | low-lying stretches of flat or gently rolling land |
plateau | flat, with higher elevation than plains |
isthmus | narrow piece of land that connects two larger pieces of land |
peninsula | piece of land with water on three sides |
island | body of land smaller than a continent and completely surrounded by water |
continental shelf | plateau that stretches for several miles underwater |
trench | lowest spots in the earth's crust |
strait | narrow body of water between two pieces of land |
channel | wider passage than a strait |
delta | is formed when soil and sand build up over time |
savannah | broad grassland in the Tropics with few trees |
marine west coast climate | weather pattern characterized by rainy and mild winters and cool summers |
Mediterranean climate | weather pattern characterized by mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers |
humid continental climate | weather pattern characterized by long, cold, snowy winters and short, hot summers |
humid subtropical climate | weather pattern characterized by hot, humid, rainy summers and short, mild winters |
subarctic | weather pattern characterized by severely cold, bitter winters and short, cool summers |
tundra | vast rolling treeless plain in high latitude climates in which only the top few inches of ground thaw in summer |
glaciers | giant slow-moving sheets of ice |
typhoons | a tropical storm in the region of the Indian or western Pacific oceans |
monsoons | tremendous seasonal winds that blow over continents for months at a time; found mainly in Asia and some areas in Africa |
rain forest | dense forest that receives high amounts of rain each year |