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Ch.09 Climate Vocabu
Focus on California Earth Science 2008 Pearson Prentice Hall
| TERM | DEFINITION |
|---|---|
| climate | long-term, average conditions of temperature, precipitation, winds, and clouds in an area |
| microclimate | climate conditions within a small area that differ from those in the surrounding area |
| tropical zone | the area near the equator, between about 23.5° north latitude and 23.5° south latitude |
| polar zone | the areas near both poles, from about 66.5° to 90° north and 66.5° to 90° south latitudes |
| temperate zone | the areas between the tropical and the polar zones, from about 23.5° to 66.5° north and 23.5° to 66.5° south latitude |
| marine climate | the climate of some coastal regions, with relatively warm winters and cool summers |
| continental climate | the climate of the centers of the continents, with cold winters and warm or hot summers |
| ocean current | a large stream of moving water that flows through the ocean in a regular pattern |
| windward | the side of a mountain range that faces the oncoming wind |
| leeward | the side of a mountain range that faces away from the oncoming wind |
| monsoon | sea or land breeze over a large region that changes direction with the seasons |
| El Niño | a climate event that occurs every two to seven years in the Pacific Ocean, during which winds shift and push warm water toward the coast of South America |
| La Niña | a climate event in the eastern Pacific Ocean in which surface waters are colder than normal |
| salinity | the total amount of dissolved salts in a water sample |
| upwelling | the movement of cold water upward from the deep ocean that is caused by wind |
| rain forest | the forest in the tropical wet climate zone in which large amounts of rain fall year-round |
| savanna | a tropical grassland with scattered clumps of trees |
| desert | an arid region that on average receives less than 25 centimeters of rain a year |
| steppe | a prairie or grassland found in the semiarid climate region |
| chaparral | an area of dense shrubs and small trees found in Mediterranean climates |
| humid subtropical | a wet and warm climate found on the edges of the tropics |
| subarctic | a climate zone that lies north of the humid continental climates, with short, cool summers and long, cold winters |
| tundra | a polar climate region, found across northern Alaska, Canada, and Russia, with short, cool summers and bitterly cold winters |
| permafrost | permanently frozen soil found in the tundra climate region |
| ice age | a time in the past when continental glaciers covered large parts of Earth's surface |
| global warming | a gradual increase in the temperature of earth's atmosphere |
| greenhouse gas | gases in the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide, that trap solar energy |
| ozone hole | a large area of reduced ozone concentration in the stratosphere, found over Antarctica |
| chlorofluorocarbon | chlorine compounds that are the main cause of ozone depletion |
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mushijima
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