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Climate
Vocab
| 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 of thermal energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kg of a material by 1 degrees C |
| Microclimate | A localized climate that is different from the climate of the larger area surrounding it |
| Ice ages | Cold periods lasting millions of years when glaciers cover much of Earth |
| Interglacials | The warm periods that occur during ice ages |
| El Nino/Southern Oscillation | The 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 | The 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 |