Term | Definition |
weather | the condition of the bottom layer of the earth's atmosphere in one place over a short period of time |
climate | the term used for the weather patters that an area typically experiences over a long period of time |
rotation | the spinning motion of the earth, like a top on its axis as it travels through space |
revolution | one complete orbit of the earth around the sun the earths completes one resolution every 365 1/4 days or one year |
solstice | either of the two times a year when the sun appears directly overhead at the tropics of cancer and Capricorn |
equinox | either of the two times each year (spring and fall) when day and night are nearly equal length everywhere on earth |
perecipitation | all the forms of water that fall to earth from the atmosphere including rain and snow |
front | the boundary between two masses of air that differ in density or temperature |
continental climates | the type of climate in the great central areas of continents in the northern hemisphere; characterized by cold snowy winters and warm or hot summers |
ecosystem | the interaction of plant life animal life and the physical environment in which they live |
biome | the term used to describe a major type of ecosystem that can be found in various regions throughout the world |
deciduous | leaf-shedding a type of tree that sheds it leaves during one season. |
coniferous | cone-bearing a type of tree able to survive long cold winters with long thin needles rather then leaves. |
chaparral | a type of natural vegetation that is adapted to Mediterranean climates |
savanna | a tropical grassland with scattered trees located in the warm lands near the equator |
herbivore | a plaint eating animal |
carnivore | a meat eatting animal |
prairie | a temperate grassland characterized by a great variety of grass |
tundra | a dry treeless plain where temperatures are always cool or cold and only specialized plants can grow |
permaforst | a layer of soil just below the earths surface that stays permanently frozen. |