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chapter 14
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Climate | the long-term average weather conditions that occur in a particular region. |
| Rain Shadow | An area of low rainfall on the downwind slope of a mountain. |
| Specific Heat | the amount (joules) of thermal energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kg of a material by 1° C. |
| Microclimate | a localized climate that is different from the climate of the larger area surrounding it. |
| Ice age | Cold periods lasting from hundreds to millions of years when glaciers cover much of earth. |
| Interglacials | The warm periods that occur during ice ages or between ice ages. |
| El Niño/ Southern Oscillation | Combined ocean and atmospheric cycle that results in weakened trade winds across the pacific Ocean. |
| Monsoon | a wind circulation pattern that changes direction with the seasons. |
| Drought | A period with below-average precipitation. |
| Global Warming | Rise in Earth's average surface temperature during the past 100 years. |
| Greenhouse Gases | Gases in the atmosphere that absorb Earth's outgoing infrared radiation. |
| Deforestation | The large-scale cutting and/or burning of forests. |
| Global Climate Model | a set of complex equations used to predict future climates. |