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WGeo3
Chapter 2 vocab
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| weather | the condition of the bottom layer of the earths 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 earth like a top on it's axis as it travels through space. |
| revolution | one complete orbit of earth around the sun. the earth completes one revolution every 365. 1/4 days or one year. |
| solstice | either of the two times a year when the sun appears directly overhead at the tropics of cancer |
| equinox | either of the two times a year ( spring or fall) when day and night are nearly the same length everywhere on earth. |
| precipitation | The down pour of rain sleet or snow part of the water cycle. |
| front | the boundary between two masses of air that differ in density. |
| continental climate | the type of climate found in the great central ares of continents in the Northen hemisphere ; characterized by cold snowy winters and warm or hot summers. |
| 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 whole 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; small evergreen trees and low brushes, or scrub |
| savanna | A tropical grass land with scattered trees, located in the warm lands near the Equator . |
| herbivore | a plant-eating animal |
| carnivore | a meat-eating animal |
| prairie | a temerate grass land characterized by a great variety of changes. |
| 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 remains permanently frozen. |