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ch.2 vocabulary
world geography
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 patterns 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. |
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 when day and night are of nearly equal length everywhere on earth. |
precipitation | a viewpoint that is influenced by one's own culture and experiences. |
front | the boundary between two masses of air that differ in density or temperature. |
continental climate | the type of climate found in the great central areas of continents in the northern hemisphere; |
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 its leaves during one season. |
coniferous | cone-bearing; a type of tree able to survive long cold winters with long thin needles rather than 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 plant eating animal. |
carnivore | a meat eating animal. |
prairie | a temperate grassland characterized by a great variety of grasses. |
tundra | a dry treeless plain where temperatures are always cool or cold and only specialized plants can grow. |
permafrost | a layer of soil just below the earth's surface that stays permanently frozen. |