Question | Answer |
found in mid-latitude interior N Hemisphere | Humid Continental |
experiences all 4 seasons, great variety in precipitation & temperature | Humid Continental |
found in Southeast US & large parts of China | Humid Subtropical |
has long summers of heat & humidity, suitable for crops, mild/cool winters, subject to hurricanes in the fall & summer | Humid Subtropical |
found close to the ocean, West coast of US, Canada, & Europe | Marine West Coast |
cloudy, foggy, damp, evenly distributed precipitation, moderate temperatures, smog | Marine West Coast |
found in Central & South America, Africa, & Southeast Asia | Tropical Wet |
always hot, rains daily, sunny then cloudy, little variation in temperature | Tropical Wet |
found in Africa, South & Central America, Asia | Tropical Wet & Dry |
rainy summer (wet season), dry winter (dry season) | Tropical Wet & Dry |
found in mid-latitudes mostly in the N Hemisphere | Desert |
very low amount of precipitation, high temperatures during the day, low temperatures during the night, low humidity | Desert |
found in near the Mediterranean Sea, US, & Asia | Mediterranean |
hor/dry summers, cool/rainy winters, supports dense population & rich agricultural activity | Mediterranean |
found in Canada & Russia | Subarctic |
taiga, huge temperature variations, short/cool summers, cold winters, temperatures are below freezing | Subarctic |
found in the ring aroudn the Arctic Circle | Tundra |
treeless flat land, little precipitation, has permafrost | Tundra |
found in Antarctica & Greenland | Ice Cap |
snow, ice, freezing temperatures, polar deserts, not much precipitation | Ice Cap |
found in mountainous areas | Highlands |
varies with latitude, elevation, continental location, & other topography | Highlands |
occurs in hot, moist climates where the sun quickly heats the air and it rises, creating clouds and then rain | Convectional |
falls on the windward side of hills or mountains that block moise air and forces it upward where it cools and rain or snow falls and creates a rain shadow on leeward side | Orographic |
occurs in the mid-latitudes where cold dense air masses push lighter warm air masses upward causing the air to cool, vapor to condense, and rain to fall | Frontal |
found on both sides of the equator from the Tropic of Cancer to the Tropic of Capricorn | Low latitudes (tropical) |
hot all year long, can experience season changes because of wind patterns | Low latitudes (tropical) |
found between the tropics and the polar regions | Middle latitudes (temperate) |
temperatures vary greatly because of solar heating | Middle latitudes (temperate) |
encircles the North and South Pole | High latitudes (polar) |
cold all year long | High latitudes (polar) |
extreme climates, plants adapt to tolerate dry & cold conditions, plants hug the ground | Tundra |
broadleaf trees, normally shed at least once a year only exclusively in the N Hemisphere | Temperate Deciduous Trees |
dotted with few trees | Grasslands |
broadleaf trees, trees can stay green all year long | Rain forests |
needleleaf trees, cone bearing trees, found in northern regions of NA, Asia, and Europe | Coniferous trees |
What are the two most significant factors in defining different climates? | temperature and precipitation |
What is another name for a coniferous tree? | needleleaf |
What is another name for a deciduous tree? | broadleaf |
What is an ecosystem? | interdependent community of plants & animals |
What is a biosphere? | the part of the earth where plants & animals live |
Why do prevailing winds blow in curved lines? | Earth's rotation |
How does elevation affect climate? | climate gets colder as elevation increases; the greater the altitude, the fewer the climate zones |
How does the location of land and water influence climate? | water heats and cools slowly, so the area around it has moderate temperaturesland heats and cools quickly, so the land around it has a wider temperature range |
At what latitude is the Tropic of Capricorn located? | 23 degrees S |
At what latitude is the Tropic of Cancer located? | 23 degrees N |
What are the determinants of climate? | latitude, altitude, prevailing winds, distance from sea, ocean currents, great mountain barrier |
What causes the seasons? | Earth's tilt and rotation |
When is the vernal equinox? | March 21 |
When is the autumnal equinox? | September 23 |
When is the winter solstice? | December 21 or 22 |
When is the summer solstice? | June 21 or 22 |
What should you not do if an earthquake occurs? | do not go outside, do not use your cellphone, do not turn on the gas |
What is El Nino? | the warming of water off the west coast of South America |
What is the greenhouse effect? | the layer of gases released by the burning of coal and petroleum that traps solar energy, causing global temperature to increase |
What is the direction of prevailing winds determined by? | Coriolis effect; latitude & Earth's movement |
From what direction do the northeasterly winds blow? | northeast |
What is an area of low pressure? | area of hot air |
What is an area of high pressure? | area of cold air |
In what direction do ocean currents flow in the northern hemisphere? | clockwise |
In what direction do ocean currents flow in the southern hemisphere? | counterclockwise |
How are season different between the northern and southern hemisphere? | they are the opposite |
What is a climograph? | a graph showing the average daily temperature and precipitation for each month of the year for a specific location |
What does precipitation look like on a climograph? | bar graph |
What does temperature look like on a climograph? | line graph |