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chapter 14
climate
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Climate | Is the long-term average weather conditions that occur in a particular region. |
| Rain shadow | An area of low rainfall on the downwind slope mountain is called a rain shadow. |
| Specific heat | Is the amount (joules) of thermal energy needed to raise the temperature. |
| Microclimate | Is a localized climate that is different from the climate of the larger area surrounding it. |
| Ice age | Are cold periods lasting millions of years when glaciers cover much of earth. |
| Interglacial | The warm periods that occur during ice ages. |
| Southern Oscillation | The combined ocean and atmospheric cycle that results in weakened trade winds across the pacific ocean is called El nino/southern oscillation. |
| Monsoon | A monsoon is a wind circulation pattern that changes direction with the seasons. |
| Drought | A drought is a period with below-average percipitation. |
| Global warming | The rise in earth's average surface temperature during the past 100 years is often referred to as global warming. |
| Greenhouse gas | Gases in the atmosphere that absorb earth's outgoing infrared radiation are greenhouse gas |
| Deforestation | Deforestation is the large-scale cutting and/ or burning of forests. |
| Global climate model | A global climate model or GCM, is a set of complex equations used to predict future climates. |